Women's House Serving Bruce and Grey saw record numbers of women and children reaching out to escape abusive situations in 2020.
Spokesperson Michelle Lamont says requests for shelter increased by 27 per cent in their first quarter, which was also the beginning of the pandemic, while crisis line calls were up 17 per cent in that first quarter.
She says with pandemic cases on the rise again, and another lockdown in effect, Women’s House wants to reach out and help those for whom a lockdown means much more than the average person, because their safety is at an even greater risk locked inside their home, along with their abuser.
She says the pandemic lockdown leaves any woman who lives in an abusive home trapped in her worst nightmare
"Women are really at a greater risk for some serious issues when their locked inside their home along with their abuser. For the average person, lockdowns and the pandemic in general have heightened people's stress levels. "
"And then you add in things like layoffs, and increased feelings of fear and anxiety, all heightened. Its a challenge for people who are abusers, and have issues difficulty controlling their emotions and their outlets for those emotions," she added.
Women’s House Serving Bruce And Grey had a fundraising budget of $140,746 this year in order to maintain services.
Lamont says it is fortunate, "We have a very generous and supportive community, and they have willingly stepped up and helped us with willing hearts and open arms throughout this trying year."
Women’s House operates a 24/7 shelter in Kincardine, Ontario to provide a safe, supportive and secure environment for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Women’s House also provides sexual assault services in Bruce and Grey, a child witness program, transition services, education services, a volunteer program, community counselling and second-stage housing in Kincardine, Saugeen Shores and Wiarton.
During the last fiscal year (2019/20), Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey: - Served 938 individual women*; - Served 224 individual children*; and - Responded to 10,619 crisis, support, and advocacy calls* *The above statistics are from just prior to the pandemic in Canada (their fiscal year runs from April to March)
