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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, June 30, 2016 | 14 The Women's Centre a great passion, second home for Oakville's Melvina Walter continued from p.12 Her role model was her father, who was always helping someone, whether it was delivering clothing to a family, visiting the sick or giving $20 to someone for food. "The one thing I learned from my father was to never give up, no matter how difficult life becomes. You never give up," said Walter. When the Women's Centre became a big part of her life, it felt like "coming home," she said. "How many of us are blessed enough to have work that gets us up each day and gives us such wonderful joy?" asked Walter. "I never considered it a job or a title, but a great passion becoming my second home." The Women's Centre was first situated at St. John's United Church, where it peer-counselled clients for a few years before moving to the thenHopedale Mall (now South Oakville Centre) and has remained there since. "So many women came from all over because there was actually nothing in their communities like this. Women needed to be able to talk to somebody and get support," said Walter. In 1991, the Oakville group became a registered charitable organization. Walter, who took on the executive director position in 2000, said running the Women's Centre wasn't always easy because it faced numerous challenges, including financial struggles that almost forced its closure. When it first launched, the organization had no staff or money. "I remember a year when we had $20,000 and the board wanted to close, but I said we will be OK the next year and we were," said Walter. While there were tough times for the centre, Walter always found joy in doing her job. "Helping make a difference in one woman's life" is what kept her motivated, she said. "I was always a front-line person, so for me it was making a difference in that woman's life, hoping she would be able to go on, and possibly in the future, help somebody else," said Walter. "I always wanted to make women leaders in their own life, so sooner or later they get the self-esteem and courage to get over the trauma they experienced in their lives." Walter said she has "learned and grown so much" from the women she's met over the years, noting the group has helped up to 50,000 individuals since 1989. When women came to the centre, she didn't want them to feel like they were "entering a institution," SPRING CLEANING SPECIAL OFFER: but rather a safe and nurturing environment. 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This is where the real work needs to continue to stop violence against women," said Walter. Even though she retired in 2014, Walter continues to work for the Women's Centre voluntarily as an advisor to the board of directors and staff. She also started writing a book last year, tentatively called Finding My Way Home, which she hopes to release in the near future. "I recently realized I am not lost, but starting a new journey. My book may be about building community, which could be useful as a reference for others. I will be looking for all new possibilities just around the corner," said Walter. "What a privilege and honour it has been for me to be a major part of this centre for so many years." As a Maid Right owner you have my quality guarantee with every clean. 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