Willow Place Winter 2023 E-Newsletter

SOUP SISTERS
Resilience and Resourcefulness
Willow Place has been fortunate to receive regular donations of delicious fresh-made soup from Soup Sisters for several years. Prior to the COVID pandemic, Soup Sisters held monthly soup-making events in Winnipeg, in partnership with the Fairmont Winnipeg, that helped to raise awareness and donations, while providing a variety of wholesome soups for the shelter program.

During the early months of the pandemic, these in-person events were suspended due to health precautions, and Soup Sisters Canada stepped in to keep the soup flowing. Although monthly events have not resumed in Winnipeg, Soup Sisters Canada has created a wonderful 50% Program which continues to help Willow Place.  For a modest cost, our shelter program receives monthly shipments of soup that is freshly made at commercial kitchens and frozen in family packs for shipping and distribution. The soup is delivered to Willow Place’s shelter program by our amazing local Soup Sisters: Harriet, Sandi, Miriam, along with their family and friends.
Willow Place is so grateful for the resilience and resourcefulness exhibited by local and national Soup Sisters members.

Thank you to all of the donors, supporters and volunteers in Canada that make the Soup Sisters 50% Program possible!

HOCKEY HELPS THE HOMELESS
2022 Tournament Outcomes
The annual Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) fundraising tournament was held in December, 2022. Willow Place is fortunate to be among homelessness-serving organizations supported by the event – other beneficiaries include Winnipeg’s Resource Assistance for Youth (RAY) and Red Road Lodge.

The event was a great success and boasted four women’s teams this year!  Women led the way with fundraising initiatives and collecting team fees, and we hope there will be more growth with female player participation in the years ahead!  Family violence is a significant factor impacting homelessness and homelessness risk, and this event not only raises much-needed funds, it also provides opportunities to talk about family violence and community supports for those in need. Willow Place and other beneficiaries will each receive $45,000 from the 2022 event proceeds. Thank you to Willow Place staff, volunteers, donors and supporters, as well as the Hockey Helps the Homeless local committee and national office – your efforts are making a positive difference for family violence program participants.

CARING DADS PROGRAM
Exciting Updates!
Willow Place’s Caring Dads Program began five years ago, as a grant-funded pilot.  Working in partnership with Winnipeg Child and Family Services (CFS), the program has blossomed from one intake yearly to three intakes. For those unfamiliar with Caring Dads, it is an internationally-recognized 17-week intervention program for male perpetrators of family violence. It is understood that without gaining awareness of the impact of their actions, as well as having support to change behaviours and gain accountability, perpetrators of violence are likely to continue familiar, unhealthy relationship patterns.

Most recently, Winnipeg CFS has expressed commitment to training more Caring Dads staff, allowing for more intakes. Also being launched is a new program for survivors of family violence with pre-school age children called Mothers in Mind. Central to the Caring Dads Program’s success, is Willow Place staff member, Shannon C., who has brought invaluable trauma-informed counselling insight and experience to her Caring Dads facilitator role, and who has mentored new program facilitators. Shannon shared:

‘We recently completed our eighth group of Caring Dads, impacting roughly 90 men, and over 200 kids’ lives. On … the last week, we ask the men to complete an anonymous evaluation on their experience in the program, I am proud to share that this was one of the recent comments: “Facilitators were fantastic, kind, caring, empathetic and informative. A great experience in an otherwise terrible time in my life.” We have had men drop out of group due to addictions, and join again when they are in a better place and succeed. Caring Dads is an important part of building healthy relationships. Connecting with these men is an honor and I enjoy being a part of their journey, I too learn and grow in each group.’

Thank you, Shannon, for your dedication and support for sustaining and growing Caring Dads in Manitoba!

MORE INFORMATION:

E: shannonc@willowplace.ca
P: 204-615-0313, ext. 224

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Working Together to Meet Diverse Needs
Willow Place is grateful to have an number of community and program partners, enabling us to better-support participants in the shelter program, as well as provide outreach services for diverse needs. In shelter, as part of the wellness program initiative, grant and donation funds support trauma-informed yoga twice weekly. Wellness supports also include bi-weekly visits from public health, providing information sessions, vaccination access and other valuable health supports. On alternate weeks, a physician from Women’s Health Clinic is on-site to support shelter participants.

Indigenous cultural supports are important, as the majority of Willow Place shelter program participants are Indigenous women and children. Funded by donations and grants, these supports include weekly elder visits, and cultural activities such as drumming, art and crafts sessions. Shelter participants can also access and use Indigenous medicines such as cedar and sage.

Other community partners are invited to visit the shelter program on a regular, on-going basis to provide a wide array of information sessions and supports: SEED (financial literacy), Elmwood Family Resource Centre (newcomer supports and activities), CLEA (legal support), Project Choices/Klinic (alcohol, sex and birth control), for example.

In community, Willow Place outreach counsellors visit Salvation Army SonRise Village, Winnipeg, to provide drop-in and by-appointment family violence supports for men and women. Community outreach also partners with Access Public Health, Main Street, Winnipeg to provide drop-in or by-appointment family violence supports.

AMAZON WISH LIST
In-Kind Donations Support

During the early months of the COVID pandemic Willow Place established its Amazon Wish List, to enable those wishing to provide in-kind donations another option. Over the past months, we have been fortunate to receive a number of donations from community using the list.

TO USE THE LIST:
1) Click on the link to see items on the list. CLICK HERE!
2) Order on your Amazon account for delivery to your home.
3) Contact Willow Place at 204-615-0311 (ext. 231 or ext. 237) to arrange your drop-off appointment.

Most recently, Forester’s Financial member, Kim M. purchased a supply of items from the list including night lights for the shelter program! Foresters provides small grants for members to support a charity or charities of choice, and we were delighted to once again be a beneficiary of this wonderful initiative. Heartfelt appreciation to Forester’s and Forester’s member-supporter, Kim!

DONATION SUBSCRIPTION
Easy, Secure Giving with Canada Helps

Easy, Secure Giving with Canada Helps
Canada Helps is a secure, online platform that enables donors to provide monetary donations for charities. Were you aware that monthly donation subscriptions are available through Canada Helps?  Willow Place will be promoting the online giving program in 2023 with a goal to obtain 1000 new $20-a-month subscribers, or 500 new $40-a-month subscribers.  Reaching this goal would provide Willow Place with $20,000 monthly to sustain our important work in family violence prevention.

DONATE or SUBSCRIBE: CLICK HERE!

Those with questions are welcome to contact Community Coordinator, Pam Hadder
Phone: 204-615-0313, ext. 237 (weekdays, daytime hours)
Email: pamh@willowplace.ca

Our mailing address: P.O. Box 1786, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 2Z9