NEWS RELEASE
WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER OF BARRIE
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Each was a victim of domestic violence, escaped from her abuser, reclaimed her dignity, reconstructed her life, and rediscovered peace. Intimate partner violence doesn’t just happen "out there" somewhere. It happens in our towns and cities, in our neighbourhoods and workplaces, on our streets. The question always asked: “why didn’t she just leave?”
Shelter Me: The Shelter Me book is a collection of the lives and experiences of abused women. Through the journey of healing, survivors in our community reflect and share on the complicated and complex realities of intimate partner violence. Their experiences through various artistic expressions take us into a world that is difficult for most to comprehend; a world easily ignored and locked behind closed doors with our silence — until now.
“Shelter Me highlights the issue that we are facing right here in the city of Barrie; domestic abuse is happening to our sisters, to our mothers, to our daughters, and to our friends,” said Katie Taylor, development manager at the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie. “The wine and cheese is be a celebration of these incredibly brave women and an opportunity to come together and honour that courage.
"Every woman who has left an abusive relationship — every woman who has yet to leave — will find encouragement and hope in the art created from these women who broke free and seek the help that they deserve.”
The public is invited to a wine and cheese book launch taking place on Saturday Aug. 28 at Heritage Estate Winery & Cidery, located at 421 Penetanguishene Rd., Barrie, Ont., at 6 p.m.
The outdoor event will include the unveiling of the book, an opportunity to hear from the survivors/see their works of art while enjoying complimentary wine and charcuterie.
Tickets are limited! To purchase your ticket and an advanced copy of the Shelter Me book visit Barrie Snapd or barrieshelter.com.
For more information please contact [email protected] or 705-792-2188.
This year marks 40 years that The Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie has been providing shelter and support services to abused women and children. The agency consists of a 27-bed shelter with outreach offices on-site. Approximately 1,000 women and children are assisted by the agency annually.
In addition to the emergency shelter, staff provides individual and group counselling, legal information and support, court support, information about violence against women, referrals to other community and social services, and public education in the community to those in need.
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