November marks Family Violence Prevention Month across Alberta, but a Foothills charity has dedicated every single month over the last two decades to supporting those impacted by domestic violence.
Rowan House Society, a Foothills-based women's shelter supporting communities across Southern Alberta and one of seven Foothills charities being supported by Western Wheel Cares, will be marking its 25th anniversary in January 2025.
"Almost 25 years ago we opened a tiny bedroom basement suite with the capacity for just two women with up to three children each," said executive director Linette Soldan.
Today, the organization operates a facility in High River and two in Okotoks.
"We are really right in the community wanting to provide as much support that we can," said Soldan.
Rowan House Society provides support to the communities of Foothills County, Vulcan County and M.D. of Willow Creek through its seven core programs: the 24-hour support line, emergency shelter, children's program, preventative education, outreach program, court support program and safe-at-home program.
"Rowan House Society serves the second-largest geographic area in the province, with a total population of over 100,000 individuals," said Soldan.
"I do really think it's important, as we are in a rural area, that rates of police-reported intimate partner violence and abuse experience and rural areas are 75 per cent higher than urban areas. On average, every 2.5 days, one woman or girl is killed in Canada."
According to Soldan, the past year has proven the increased demand for the organization's services. Rowan House's 24-hour support line responded to 2,294 calls and texts, a 15 per cent increase from the last fiscal year, for a total of 15,779 minutes.
The organization's shelter supported 220 women and children, with the oldest being 75 and the youngest being one day old.
During the last fiscal year, the organization additionally offered 2,398 hours of programming to children.
"The specialized children's program allows children to be kids again," said Soldan. "Trained staff provide them with tools for understanding their own developing emotions, strategies for coping and healing."
Another major aspect of the organization's work over the last year has been its preventative education program — Rowan House Society gave 125 school presentations to 6,230 students, which was a 25 per cent increase from last year.
"Over 40,000 teens aged 15 to 17 were victims of reported dating violence in Canada since 2015," said Soldan, citing data from Statistics Canada. "Rates of teen dating violence and abuse have increased by 33 per cent, impacting both boys and girls, and in 2022, teen girls experienced dating violence at nine times the ratio of boys.
"The program that we provide for preventative education is essential in raising awareness and providing support to the community."
Rowan House Society encourages the community to take part in the Family Violence Prevention Month campaign however they can throughout the month of November, including wearing purple for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25 and sharing pictures on social media using the hashtag #safetotalk and tagging @RowanHouseEmergencyShelter.
To access support from Rowan House Society, call or text 403-652-3311. Learn more on the organization's website.
This year’s Western Wheel Cares campaign runs until Dec. 31. In 2023, the campaign raised a record $100,002, pushing its 12-year total to $669,061.
Each week, the Wheel will feature one of the seven organizations — Foothills Advocacy in Motion Society, Foothills Country Hospice, Inclusion Foothills, Okotoks Food Bank, Pound Rescue, Rowan House Society and Sheep River Health Trust — supported by the initiative.
To donate to Western Wheel Cares, mail cheques to Box 150, Okotoks, AB, T1S 2A2 or visit westernwheel.ca/western-wheel-cares for a Paypal donation link. As well, you can drop by the Wheel office at 9 McRae St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) or call 403-938-6397.
