DECEMBER CHARITY COLLECTION:   Armagh House - 2014
About Armagh House![]() Armagh is the only second-stage supportive housing program serving the Region of Peel. They offer a safe and supportive environment for women, with or without children. Their programmes and services help women develop the skills to live a healthy, independent life. Please follow this link to the Armagh House site for more information. |
The Issues Group's Call to Action and Results of 2014 Collection
Thanks to all of you who so generously supported our Armagh Christmas fund-raising. In total I was able to bring $1495 from our CFUW members to the Director, Lynn Ward, who was extremely grateful. She took me on a tour of the facility, which was larger than I anticipated, with meeting rooms, nine one or two bedroom apartments for women and children, a children’s playroom, a room which will become a youth recreation facility, a room shared by the Child and Youth worker and Social Worker, a meeting room with three computers for the use of residents and their children, and a living room. There are plans for a “Look Good, Feel Good Boutique” in the basement which will facilitate those looking for clothing suitable for a job interview or household items needed for establishing a home upon leaving. Armagh is a second stage facility, which means that women who are leaving a shelter will have support and a place to live for up to one year.
They have just developed a three year strategic plan with the goal of introducing a career empowerment program which will offer a Myers Briggs assessment and teach resume writing and interview skills, as well as inform residents about Bill 168 regarding harassment in the workplace, to ensure that these women will know how to protect themselves and who to ask for help once they leave this supportive setting. There are many hurdles to cross for a woman wishing to make a new beginning.
Armagh would like to expand the programs they offer to include Healthy Relationships, Gardening, Meditation, Peer to Peer Support Group (i.e. building of a mentor program, matching graduates of Armagh and new residents), Art Therapy (for both women and children), Self-Defense, Emergency Planning, (i.e. what to do in the event of no heat or hydro). Qualified volunteers with expertise in these areas are needed to help facilitate these groups. Individuals interested in volunteering would also need to go through Armagh’s orientation process and obtain a negative police clearance since this would involve working directly with the women. Their main program night is Wednesday from 5:30-7:00pm, a maximum of 9 women and the programs described could be offered one Wednesday per month.
In addition to these programs, a skilled volunteer who could help develop testimonials with the women so that they could create a magazine and/or video that would include women’s journeys from abuse to crisis stage to second stage housing to permanent housing would be a powerful tool.
Lynn was asked to make a presentation recently to the House of Commons about second stage housing, which is such a critical part of a woman being able to leave an abusive relationship and get established in a new life for herself and her children. Unfortunately, this is the only second stage facility in the Region of Peel to serve victims of family violence, and in Halton there are no such facilities at all. Of 110 referrals in the past eighteen months they were only able to serve twenty-one. Without assistance such as this, many women must return to the abusive relationship they would like to leave.
Armagh receives 16% of its funding from the Ministry of Social Services and 37% from the Region of Peel. Donations make up the balance.
Starting this spring, Armagh hopes to have the “Boutique” up and running, and at that time may have room for your donations of gently used clothing or furniture. Please call well ahead to ask, since there is very limited storage space.
Although our relationship with Armagh has been ongoing, and very helpful, it is somewhat disheartening to realize that so much more is needed and so many women are unable to be served due to lack of space.
Nancy Rabbat
Past President
They have just developed a three year strategic plan with the goal of introducing a career empowerment program which will offer a Myers Briggs assessment and teach resume writing and interview skills, as well as inform residents about Bill 168 regarding harassment in the workplace, to ensure that these women will know how to protect themselves and who to ask for help once they leave this supportive setting. There are many hurdles to cross for a woman wishing to make a new beginning.
Armagh would like to expand the programs they offer to include Healthy Relationships, Gardening, Meditation, Peer to Peer Support Group (i.e. building of a mentor program, matching graduates of Armagh and new residents), Art Therapy (for both women and children), Self-Defense, Emergency Planning, (i.e. what to do in the event of no heat or hydro). Qualified volunteers with expertise in these areas are needed to help facilitate these groups. Individuals interested in volunteering would also need to go through Armagh’s orientation process and obtain a negative police clearance since this would involve working directly with the women. Their main program night is Wednesday from 5:30-7:00pm, a maximum of 9 women and the programs described could be offered one Wednesday per month.
In addition to these programs, a skilled volunteer who could help develop testimonials with the women so that they could create a magazine and/or video that would include women’s journeys from abuse to crisis stage to second stage housing to permanent housing would be a powerful tool.
Lynn was asked to make a presentation recently to the House of Commons about second stage housing, which is such a critical part of a woman being able to leave an abusive relationship and get established in a new life for herself and her children. Unfortunately, this is the only second stage facility in the Region of Peel to serve victims of family violence, and in Halton there are no such facilities at all. Of 110 referrals in the past eighteen months they were only able to serve twenty-one. Without assistance such as this, many women must return to the abusive relationship they would like to leave.
Armagh receives 16% of its funding from the Ministry of Social Services and 37% from the Region of Peel. Donations make up the balance.
Starting this spring, Armagh hopes to have the “Boutique” up and running, and at that time may have room for your donations of gently used clothing or furniture. Please call well ahead to ask, since there is very limited storage space.
Although our relationship with Armagh has been ongoing, and very helpful, it is somewhat disheartening to realize that so much more is needed and so many women are unable to be served due to lack of space.
Nancy Rabbat
Past President