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i ar ia BINGO IS BACK IN BURLINGTON! *. NOW OPEN * THE BINGO CONNECTION WEEKLY BINGO SCHEDULE Oakville Beaver | Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 18 * MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY 12:30PM =, MONDAY TO FRIDAY 7 PM OUR NEW LOCATION AT 2316 FAIRVIEW STREET, BURLINGTON (IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE POLISH HALL, ENTRY IN REAR OF BUILDING) THE COFFEE’S ON US AT ALL SESSIONS SEE OUR PROGRAMS AT * A WTAWAVYAMat=Lodiays lexecedalat-reid (o]a Ret] f ¥ CONNECT WITH US AT FACEBOOK OR TWITTER OR CALL OUR HOTLINE - 289-245-1192 LIC. #M823241 € 8 : 3 £& IBNEWS THE VIOLENCE AT HOME SIGNAL FOR HELP l 1. Palm to camera and tuck thumb 2. Trop thumb Metroland illustration e The social isolation measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic are making it mor difficult for those who are at risk of abuse or violence to safely reach out for help. "Signal for Help" is a simple one-handed sign. someone can use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way. WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS EXPERIENCING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE DATA SHOWS 4h PER CENT OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE IN THEIR LIFETIME This week (Dec. 6) marked the National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence Against Wom- en, a day to remember the 14 young women killed at Polytechnique Montréal on Dec. 6, 1989 and to take action against gender- based violence. Data from Statistics Can- ada in 2018 shows 44 per cent of women reported experi- encing some form of psycho- logical, physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Do you know what to do if someone you know is ex- periencing violence? Asurvey by the Canadi- an Women's Foundation shows only one in six peo- plein Canada are very con- fident that they would know what to say or do to support someone experi- encing sexual or emotional abuse, and one in five are very confident that they would know what to say or do to support someone ex- periencing physical abuse. Anyone can be abused — but women, girls and gender-diverse people face a higher risk of gender- based violence. The risk is even higher for Indigenous and racial- ized women, trans andnon- inary people, and women who are experiencing homelessness or are un- derhoused. In 2020, the Canadian Women's Foundation and its partners launched the Signal for Help hand signal in response to an increased risk of gender-based vio- lence during the pandemic. The one-handed signal can be used silently and dis- creetly, made by tucking the thumb into the palm, then covering the thumb four fingers. Signal for Help signifies “reach out to me safely"; it is not necessarily a request to call police. Here are some tips from the Canadian Women's Foundation on what to doif someone you know is expe- riencing abuse and how to respond if you see someone use the Signal for Help. SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHOIS EXPERIENCING ABUSE * Believe what they are telling you, be supportive and listen + Ask what you can do to help +Be non-judgmental and let them make their own decisions «Offer to provide child care while they seek help * Offer your home or an- other location as a safe space - Support them to create a safety plan, which could personal bank account IF YOU SEE SOMEONE USE THE SIGNAL FOR HELP SIGN + Check in with them safely to find out what they need you to do + Send a text, WhatsApp message or email and ask general questions like “how are you doing?" or “get in touch when you can." Keep in mind that people in violent relation- ships may be closely mon- itored by their partner. “are you safe?" or "should I look for services that might help and call you back?" If the person experi- encing violence needs to be connected to services, visit canadianwomen.org/sup- port-services for national and provincial services in- cluding crisis lines and shelters.