The West Island Women’s Shelter is marking 40 years of helping vulnerable women and children in the community.
To mark the occasion, a group of supporters and partners gathered Wednesday evening in Dorval to back the non-profit.
But instead of celebrating, organizers wanted to focus on spreading awareness that conjugal violence still exists in Canada.
“There’s a report that came out earlier this year that says every two days a woman is killed in Canada and normally they’re killed by a partner or ex-partner,” said Tiffany, a counselor with the shelter.
“The need is still there unfortunately.”
The organization was born out of that need in the 1970s. It was first based out of an apartment on top of a garage in the West Island.
Now, it’s a multidisciplinary non-profit that provides services for thousands of women and children every year, including an emergency shelter, transitional housing and counselling.
Their added focus: prevention.
“In terms of trying to eliminate conjugal violence, we really have to try and start with the youth and get the understanding of what healthy relationships look like and what to do if they find themselves in an unhealthy relationship or their friends,” Tiffany explained.
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Partners and supporters of the shelter came out to encourage the organization to continue the essential work they do for the community.
“In our community of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, this organization has been a cornerstone for some of the women who are dealing with a rough patch in their lives,” said city councillor Benoit Langevin.
“It’s the only way for us for us to not uproot those women and bring them to resources that are mainly downtown.”
The shelter is always for donations of new socks, underwear and pyjamas. “When women come to our shelter, they often come in the middle of the night, fleeing an episode of violence. They don’t always have the time to collect the things they need,” Tiffany explained.
The non-profit also needs funding to help them run their expanding programs and continue changing the lives of women and children in the city.
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