New Programming Initiatives
YWCA Crossroads Shelters
have provided a safe haven, comfort, and a temporary home to over 13,000
women and children since 1983. An initiative to expand support programs within
the safety of the new Crossroads Shelter means YWCA Crossroads
provides not only security from imminent harm, but it can truly be a
stepping stone to healthier futures for women and children whose lives
have been dominated by fear, hurt, and physical or emotional abuse.
In 2008, the YWCA received
funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to research best practices
and local needs regarding services for women and children who have
experienced abuse and violence. From this work, from discussions with
Crossroads Shelter residents, and in collaboration with appropriate community
agencies, the YWCA is developing leading edge programming to help women
recover from having lived in abusive situations, thereby enabling them
to re-establish healthy, violence-free lives.
Programming for Women
Group and individual support programs can begin while women are at
the shelter, then become part of their support network after they leave.
Initially the focus is to help women appreciate their own strengths
and self-worth and recognize the skills that have helped them survive.
Group and individual support can enable women to understand how violence
has effected and changed them and assist them to envision and plan for a
different future. Support is available as women deal with ongoing
issues around custody and support, restraining orders and criminal
assault charges. Opportunities for skills building is provided in
areas such as conflict transformation, positive parenting, and expansion
of a woman's social and safety network.
At Crossroads Shelter the Women’s Well Being program helps women develop
confidence in their survival skills and their plans for a better future.
The Nutritional Well Being program provides mentoring and hands on
experience with cooking on a low income and cooking for particular
health concerns. Food focused individual and group sessions encourage
new cooking skills, group bonding and support, and fun.
Children
Early intervention with children who are witness to or victims of
abuse is critical to ensure they do not themselves grow up to be victims
or perpetrators. Work with children focuses on helping them express and
accept their emotions and feelings, including how to manage their own
anger in a healthy way. Also included is the simple opportunity for
children to enjoy carefree play with other children and with their
mothers, which many of them have seldom experienced. Sometimes the best counselling and learning happens while something else is going on that
feeds the soul.
The Family Support Program at Crossroads Shelter helps mothers
with their new role as single parents, promotes communication between
mothers and children, provides mentoring and support around positive
discipline and helps children with school enrollment and orientation.
This program also provides support in Family Court matters.
On-Site Resources
As part of a periodic schedule, key on-site support people (staff or
community resourced) are available within the safety of the shelter.
These may include Aboriginal counsellors, addiction counsellors, a
public health nurse practitioner, a children’s art therapist.
We
have
also built a volunteer program that encourages personal service
providers to visit the shelter regularly to provide a variety of
personal care experiences, like yoga classes, craft and art activities,
and massages, manicures and pedicures, promoting stress relief and self
care for each women.
