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The Women's Centre is appealing to angels By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Halton Women's Centre is relying on `angels' to support its new fundraising campaign just launched in Oakville. Through the Angels of Hope initiative, donors can become an `angel' for the centre with a suggested monthly donation of $10 or a one-time annual gift. Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn were the first donors to Angel of Hope. Flynn issued a challenge for others to join them. "One of the things that it is intended to do is to raise awareness of the many ways the (Halton) Women's Centre supports women in our community. We provide hope for women in crisis as a transition," said executive director Melvina Walter. "We've seen a significant increase in the Halton population in the last year or two in unemployment, so we are seeing a greater demand for our services." "Fifty to 60 per cent are going through abuse issues and so we do see the most vulnerable women in the community," she added. The women's centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services and programs for women of all ages who are in transition, crisis or distress. "It is one of the first points of (contact) for women in crisis, (as) the majority of our services are free. The majority of the women who come here would not be able to afford to pay p y for p protual things to round out all the services we provide here, "said Walter. Walter said the centre will be holding the Light Up Your Life fundraiser in February with the Royal Canadian Legion in Bronte. "We're hoping that the other legion will support the event. It's going to be a dinner (and) dance and a local talent that's been auditioning to be a part of this. We're always on the cutting edge of everything at this women's centre. We do a lot with very little," said Walter. "We don't have a lot of money for marketing, but we do some pretty good branding. We just need more money to be able to continue to provide the services and add more services as time goes on." Founded in 1989, the women's centre is not a shelter -- although its original mandate was to support abused women leaving a shelter, according to a news release. When the centre moved to Hopedale Mall from St. John's United Church 18 years ago, it only had $850, Walter said. "Because we started to grow, we needed to be able to have a space of our own. We've been here 18 years and we've had five locations in this mall," said Walter. "We're not asking for a lot of money -- we're asking people to support us to keep this women's centre in the community. Next year, the money we (do) have, we may not even have that." To donate or for more information, visit www.haltonwomenscentre.org/. The Halton Women's Centre is located in Suite 229, , in Hopedale p Mall, , 1515 Rebecca St. 17 · Friday, December 9, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER NEW CAMPAIGN: Staff and guests of The Halton Women's Centre at the recent launch of the centre's Angel of Hope campaign. Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr is at centre holding a donor plaque. grams like counselling in the community," said "Many of these programs, there is no funding Walter. "Even if we do charge a small amount for for, so over the years I've been able to find a program, if a woman cannot afford anything, women to support us. Women will give freely of she comes free to the program." their time, but to keep a place going, you need Walter hopes to raise $100,000 over the next core funding," said Walter. "We've managed to year to ensure the continuation of its services to survive for 22 years, which I think is amazing." women in Halton. With only two full-time staff, She said up to 2,000 women a year are supincluding Walter, money raised will go to hiring ported by the women's centre, through a variety additional employees. of services -- from supportive counselling and The centre relies on donations to supplement abuse support groups to separation and divorce the funding it receives from the United Way and an entrepreneurial program. Oakville and the Ontario Women's Directorate. "We call them support groups, programs, She said its programs are run by volunteers workshops. We break them down. We run sup-- close to 100 -- and professional women who portive counselling whenever the women's cendonate their time and services, including two tre is open. 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