Glebe Report

FOCUS
March 9th fundraiser supports Harmony House
BY DIANA CARR
Many Glebe residents are
familiar with St. Matthew's
Harmony House which was
started as an outreach project
by St. Matthew's Anglican
Church on First
Avenue under the guidance of
Canon Calder. The program
has developed into a fundamental
element of the
Ottawa-Carleton response
to family violence and is
one of which the many members
and volunteers of St.
Matthew's and this community
can be very proud.
What you may not realize
is that Harmony House, as a
non-profit organization
funded by the Ministry of
Community and Social Services,
must actively seek
out additional sources of
revenue in order to continue
to qualify for its government
funding. As well, in
the current economic climate,
chances of an increase in
funding are remote.
This year we are again
holding a movie night during
International Women's
Week, March 7 to 13. This
year's feature is an
Australian comedy entitled
"Waiting," a film about
childbirth, and surrogate
parenthood. "Waiting" is
also about female bonding.
Noel Taylor of the Citizen
gives the movie three and
one-half stars.
Tickets to "Waiting" are
$20.00 each. Subsidized
tickets are also available.
To obtain tickets call
Harmony House at 233-3386,
Diana Carr at 232-3563, or
Wendy Bryans at 230-0313.
Tickets will also be available
at the door.
In this our third annual
event, "Waiting" will be
presented at the Canadian
Museum of Nature, (Metcalfe
and McLeod) on Tuesday,
March 9, at 8 p.m. Doors
open at 7:30 and patrons
will be entertained before
the show by a trio of
jazz musicians from Cantebury
High School. There will
be door prizes and a special
guest to introduce the movie.
Harmony House is the only
second stage shelter for
survivors of family violence
in eastern Ontario. Women
and their children who
have fled a violent environment
and stayed in a first
stage shelter such as Interval
House or Maison d'
Amitié are eligible for admission
to Harmony House.
Restrictions of space and
financing mean that four
out of every five applicants
is turned away. The
program comprises two components:
SHELTER
The Corporation of St. Matthew's
Harmony House, Ottawa
leases a small apartment
complex from City Living
(City of Ottawa). The two
buildings feature 16 apartment
units, 10 one-bedroom
apartments, 3 bachelor and
3 two-bedroom units. Residents
are eligible for rental
subsidy, thus they pay
25% of their income in rental
for their units (rentgeared-to-income).
SUPPORT
At the time of their entry
into Harmony House, residents
identify personal
goals for themselves and
their children. Support
including resource information,
individual and
group counselling, referrals,
peer support, social
activities and information
workshops are provided to
help them meet these goals.
A child advocacy worker
plans and implements programs
for the children.
Residents may stay up
to twelve months but the
majority leave in less
than six. The resident community
is increasingly more
culturally diversified
creating new demands for
the program.
ABORIGINAL PROJECT
In April 1992 Harmony
House became the sponsor of
a new program, the Aboriginal
Women's Support Project,
which is funded by
the Ministry of Community
and Social Services and
coordinated by one of the
counsellors, Colleen Whiteduck.
The program has
three goals: to establish
an education training
program in conjunction with
Algonquin College for aboriginal
women to work in
the field of violence; to
conduct a needs assessment
to specifically address
aboriginal women who have
experienced violence; and,
to provide a support service
to the aboriginal community.
The project is actively
supported by Harmony House
and is progressing in all
three areas.
Efforts to date to assist
women who live with abuse
have of necessity focussed
primarily on crisis response.
Holding perpetrators
responsible for their
abusive behaviours and
developing emergency shelter
and crisis protection and
support services for the
abuse, have consumed most
of the human and financial
resources of government
and community. Members of
Harmony House believe that
as a service which is
funded to help women and
children pick up the pieces
of their battered lives
they must be actively
involved in a process of
social change which makes
violence against women
and children unacceptable
behaviour in practice as
well as theory. Harmony
House is committed to
helping women and their
children live lives free
of violence. 95% of
its residents do not return
to their abusive partners
but move on to a safe, in-
dependent life in the community.
Harmony House tries
to remain in contact with
all ex-residents and work
to keep them connected
with the support they received
there. The organization
continues to work at educating
the public about family
violence issues. Many
members are actively involved
in activities and
other organizations in the
community aimed at violence
against women and children.
Harmony House fulfills
an important role in the
community. Your support is
welcomed and encouraged.
Diana Carr is President of
the Board of St. Matthew's
Harmony House.
The Best in Clothing
and Accessories on
Consignment
ALL FALL & WINTER STOCK
NOW ON SALE
25 50% OFF
591 Bank St.
IN THE GLEBE
233-6097
GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW
AND MEDIATION SERVICES
Peggy Malpass, B.A., LL.B.
Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public
440 Laurier West, Suite 330 phone: 235-8274
Ottawa K1R 7X6 fax: 230-7356
February 12, 1993 - Glebe Report - 17.