Charity Golf Classic helps address domestic violence
The folks at Landmark Homes have been busy changing lives for the better, raising funds to help eradicate one of Alberta’s greatest social challenges: Domestic violence. On Sept. 10, it held its third annual Landmark Homes Charity Classic Golf Tournament, in support of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.
The tournament raised $40,000 — $20,000 from tournament sponsorships and a matching $20,000 donation from Landmark Homes.
“This is a wonderful donation and it is going to make a huge difference,” says Kim Ruse, executive director of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.
The shelter had to cut $700,000 from its budget this year in response to the economic downturn spurred by plummeting oil prices — half of its funding comes from donations, most of which derive from corporate Calgary.
“We’ve had to scale back, and we have been really struggling to keep our programs running,” says Ruse. She says to put the $40,000 in perspective — it will pay for one outreach worker or one crisis counsellor for a year.
And that kind of funding is significant.
The cornerstone program of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter is the women’s centre. It’s a secure facility, a safe house, serving women and children fleeing domestic violence and abuse. This year, the centre housed more than 450 women and children, saving lives and then helping to rebuild them.
“But our reach is far wider than the shelter walls,” says Ruse.
In fact, the organization served just over 15,000 Calgarians last year, through a variety of programs including a 24/7 crisis line; counselling and support for men wanting to change their behaviour; outreach and support for women in the community who are unable to flee an abusive relationship at this time and are trying to find safety while they live in their home; and children’s support to assist with rebuilding the parental bond and dealing with the trauma. The shelter also runs community and public action campaigns.
Social change starts with two things: Conversation and education, and these programs build upon those concepts. Domestic violence takes many forms — physical, mental, emotional, verbal and financial, and most incidences happen behind closed doors.
Last year the shelter established a new program and education campaign that works with agencies, individuals and corporations to increase awareness and education on how they can help recognize and support individuals experiencing violence and abuse in a safe and effective way.
“We have seen crisis calls increase by 300 per cent this past year. We are getting fewer information-seeking calls and more and more pure-crisis calls, where we have to call the police mid-call,” says Ruse.
“We are also seeing that financial abuse is increasing significantly with much higher trends than other provinces,” says Ruse.
Financial abuse includes controlling credit cards, banking and the amount of money a person has access to.
Ruse says that one of the organization’s most powerful programs is the men’s counselling program. “Because that is what is going to change all of this.”
The other significantly powerful program is the Healthy Relationships outreach program taught in the high schools, a program that teaches kids what healthy relationships look like, the warning signs of an abusive and controlling relationship and how to disengage from unhealthy connections.
Ruse says that requests for this program have skyrocketed. But with a slashed budget, the Calgary women’s shelter has had to put these programs on the back burner.
“This $40,000 will do so much to help,” says Ruse.
For more information, visit www. calgarywomensshelter.com or if you are in a crisis situation or want information, call 1-403-234- SAFE.