Imagine.  She lives in a violent home and it has become a way of life.  Her children are in danger and she cannot turn to her family for support.  If she chooses to leave her community, she risks her family being homeless, ostracized, and without means.

She will be forced to enter a new, unfamiliar setting that discriminates against her on the basis of her race, gender, and background.  Her lack of education will prohibit her from securing stable employment.  Her different parenting style will be misinterpreted as bad parenting.  She, and her children, will experience racism, sexism, and poverty here in Calgary.

Every.  Single.  Day.

“While 1 in 10 women in Canada is abused by her partner, almost 1 in 3 Aboriginal women is abused.” **

1 in 3.

Close your eyes and think of three women.  She could be your sister, your mother, your friend, your neighbor, your colleague, or the woman standing next to you on the sidewalk.

1 in 3.

Yet her story is lost, swept under the rug, falls through the cracks.  The oppression she has experienced on, and off, reserve has been internalized and leads to depression, mental health issues, and addictions.  She has lost the connection to her culture and to her land.  Her path has been arduous and her wounds are deep.

53% of the women served in our Community Housing Program are Aboriginal.  We strive to acknowledge the historical context and the current realities or our Aboriginal clients.  Our case managers and mental health specialists meet the women and children, where they are at in their lives, to provide flexible and fluid services and housing that fit the family.  They ask questions to gain an understanding of Aboriginal culture; they walk alongside their clients as allies, advocates, support.  Our program is about choice and empowerment to build “lives worth living for them, by their definition.” – Lana Bentley, Community Housing Program Manager.

Violence travels via secrecy and isolation.  It is time to break the silence.

Will you acknowledge the violence?

What will you do to work towards the solution?

What questions will you ask?

** (Dr. Peggy J. Blair, Rights of Aboriginal Women On and Off Reserve, Scow Institute, October 2005).

Shelter

Hope

Education

Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society, in operation since 1980, has seen many changes over the last 31 years.  What was once an old apartment building with 7 furnished suites, we now provide a state-of-the-art secure facility with 19 fully furnished apartments, a Community Housing program, and individualized services to each adult and child client based on their assessed needs.

An ever-changing organization committed to leading practices, we recently arrived at the decision to expand the Community Housing program, accepting the challenges that may bring.  We will grow capacity by expanding the number of families we serve to 100 at all times by year end of 2013, and integrate child and youth services so all family member needs are met.

The  program, the only one of its kind in Canada which began as a pilot project in early 2009, has surpassed all targets and expectations since its inception.  In the past year alone, we have been able to give 113 families the support and services required to live safely in the community and to work toward a healthier, happier life.  It allows Discovery House’s mission and vision to extend in to the community beyond our residential program.  There are many potential entry points to breaking the cycle of violence; this program allows us to reach women and children we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to help before.  We can now give women and their children a home to call their own upon leaving the emergency shelter.  This immediate stability and connection to the community minimizes the risk that the family will either return to the violent home, or face homelessness.

Every client is unique and has their own story to tell.  Once stably housed, each family receives home-based support services from a case manager and a mental health specialist tailored to their needs.  Their needs, skills, education, and support may vary, but the common thread that they all seek is a better life for themselves and their children.  By supporting these families when they need it the most, we contribute to a safer, healthier and more vibrant community today and for future generations.

With our new strategies in place, Discovery House stands to help twice as many families as we could have before.  This is a big task but one that we’re exhilarated to tackle.  We are confident in our team and existing partnerships.  We are motivated to develop new ones.  We are excited to connect with our community and gain support.

The achievements of the past year were made possible by you.  The tireless efforts and passion of our staff at Discovery House, the guidance and dedication of our Board, and the generosity of our donors and supporters continues to amaze and inspire.  You allow us to continue to make the difference in the lives of women and children fleeing family violence.  When a woman has made the decision to take her children and leave a violent home, it will be your contribution that makes the difference between housing them safely, and having them return to the violence.  Your support allows them to regain their lives and their independence.

We thank you for your kindness and your generosity; for helping us move forward with our vision of a community free from family violence.  And we invite you to join us as we embark on this new and exciting journey.

-    A Message from Our Executive Director, Brigitte Baradoy

Picture this.  A woman here in Calgary is in a violent and abusive relationship.  Tired of the abuse and fearful for her and her children’s safety and well-being, she makes the choice to leave and enters into a local women’s shelter.  From there she has only a few weeks before her shelter stay is up to find a safe and stable place to live for herself and her children.  The stress and pressure builds.  Rents are high and her income is low.  Second stage shelter units are scarce because of demand.  She is unsure of her options.  She would rather go back than risk being homeless with her kids.  Their lives have been disrupted enough. A decision that seemed easy a few weeks ago is harder to rationalize.

Every day too many women who make the choice to leave situations of family violence find themselves on the precipice of becoming homeless in their attempts to leave for safety.  As such, these women are not only in need of support to address the issues that result from domestic violence but also access to safe and affordable long term housing. Mounting research in Canada has confirmed that family violence is one of the main causes of homelessness among families.  Family violence leads to relationship breakdowns, evictions, financial stress and too often the result can be a family without a place to call home. We believe that all individuals have a right to housing because we know that stability in housing often leads to enhanced functioning in other critical life areas.  However, housing alone does not address the myriad of issues that comes with the experience of domestic violence.

Our goal here at Discovery House is to end homelessness for victims of domestic violence by providing options for housing with a focus on support, safety and sustainability.

In order to achieve this goal, last year Discovery House established the Community Housing Program (CHP) that offers intensive case management and mental health support for at-risk families. As a part of Calgary’s innovative 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness the CHP moves women and children from domestic violence emergency shelters and into their own homes in the community with support services.  We are known to be one of its first of kind programs in Canada. CHP works in close collaboration with a comprehensive housing initiative, known as the CUPS Rapid Exit Program.

Since February 2009 we have housed and supported over 100 women and 260 children in the community. We have been able to provide services to women and children in a way that meets the needs of women and children who have experienced domestic violence and who are facing homelessness.  This week here in Calgary (September 20 – 24, 2010) it is Homeless Awareness Week.  Don’t you agree that every family deserves a place to call home?

By: Heather Morley