Rowan House has seen demand for its services rise but donations decline as it nears the end of a busy 2023.
The High River-based non-profit, one of seven local charities being supported by this year’s Western Wheel Cares campaign, offers a variety of programs, including an emergency shelter, to address domestic abuse issues.
Executive director Linette Soldan said it’s important to talk about domestic abuse in rural areas where the prevalence is much higher.
“The rates of police-reported domestic violence and abuse experienced by rural women in Canada are 75 per cent higher than those of urban women,” Soldan said. “Those stats show the importance of having services like Rowan House and how important it is to have our 24-hour support line.”
The non-profit puts significant effort into prevention and education through its school programming which saw more than 140 presentations to almost 5,000 students during the last fiscal year. The messaging begins with students as young as Grade 2 and gets progressively more sophisticated as sessions are held for students in grades 5, 8 and 11.
Soldan said presentations to younger students focus on kindness and empathy, but as they get older, talk turns to what a healthy relationship looks like and if there are any concerns, what to do about them.
“One of the biggest things is that in order to get to the root cause, it is important for us to provide that education awareness, really have those very important conversations and move domestic violence from being in the shadow into the spotlight so people will feel comfortable to reach out for support,” she said.
In the last fiscal year, Rowan House’s support line received 2,050 calls and texts, a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. It also served 223 individuals, women with and without children, through its emergency shelter, a 51 per cent jump from a year earlier.
Rowan House’s outreach programming offers support, advocacy, referrals and more to women who don’t require shelter services or are moving on following a shelter stay. Soldan said the organization tailors its support to an individual’s needs.
She said funding from Western Wheel Cares will support all six of Rowan House’s core programs, including its Children’s Program that ensures youngsters supported by the non-profit at this time of year have something to open under the tree.
“The donation will make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse and housing insecurity,” she said.
Soldan said even though donations are down this year, Rowan House is appreciative of all the generosity it receives, adding that the support it receives from the community allows it to continue to support the community.
This year’s Western Wheel Cares campaign runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 and 100 per cent of donations go to the featured charities.
In 2022, the campaign raised a record $82,670, pushing its 11-year total to $569,059.
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.
