2009 marks the 35th Anniversary of Osborne House in Winnipeg. The shelter - for women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse - provides a safe and supportive environment as well as residential and non-residential programs and services.
The MGEU represents frontline support workers at Osborne House who deliver these services every day.
“It’s important for us to salute the workers who show a tireless commitment to the well-being of women and children in need,’’ says MGEU President Peter Olfert. “On behalf of every MGEU member, I thank everyone at Osborne House for their considerable contribution to our community over the past thirty-five years.”
About Osborne House
Their residential program provides a short-term safe and supportive environment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This includes meeting residents’ physical needs (food, shelter and clothing) and offering emotional support, referrals and facilitating support groups to empower women to make informed choices.
Non-Residential Program:
Provides 1-1 short term counselling, support groups twice a week and support services for abused women requesting assistance in making informed decisions about establishing themselves in a non-abusive environment.
Crisis/Information Line:
Provides crisis intervention, counselling, assessments for 1-1, groups, shelter information and referrals on a 24 hour, 7 days a week basis. The Crisis/Information line also provides public awareness, education and referrals to the general public. Osborne House also provides support to the hearing impaired community through our TTY/TDD service.
If you would like to learn more about the shelter or make a donation visit osbornehouse.shelternet.ca.
More than 101,000 women used shelters in 2008
According to a recent survey by Statistics Canada, more than 101,000 women and children were admitted to 569 shelters across Canada in the year ending March 31, 2008.
To provide further insight on the overall numbers, the agency says it conducted a "survey snapshop day" on April 16, 2008, and found that 4,273 women and 3,361 children were staying in various shelters on that day. "Nearly 80% of these women and children were attempting to flee an abusive situation and the remainder were seeking shelter for reasons other than abuse," the agency says. It also found that:
♦ Nearly half of the female victims of abuse in shelters were admitted with their children. (Slightly more than one in five women did not have their children with them when admitted. The other women did not have any parenting responsibilities or their situation was unknown.)
♦ Psychological or emotional abuse, as well as physical abuse, were the types of abuse cited by women seeking shelter. (For approximately three-quarters of women in shelters, the abuse was inflicted by a spouse or former spouse.)
♦ One quarter – 25% – of the women in shelters on the snapshot day were there to protect their children from witnessing the abuse being inflicted on them. (The women also wanted to protect their children from abusive situations such as psychological abuse – 20% – and physical abuse – 12%.)