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CREB donates $25,000 to YWCA

The YWCA’s ability to offer sanctuary to women and children facing issues of domestic abuse received a boost from the Calgary Real Estate Board, Friday (March 9).

The YWCA’s ability to offer sanctuary to women and children facing issues of domestic abuse received a boost from the Calgary Real Estate Board, Friday (March 9).

As part of the CREB Charitable Foundation’s 25 for 25 program, in honour of its 25th anniversary, the foundation donated $25,000 to the Y for it’s women’s shelter.

The donation was timely, said Stephen Crotty, the Y’s director of operations, as the Y is celebrating 100 years in the community and due to the facility’s being, “the pre-eminent provider of affordable housing in this community and one that offers safety and shelter for those fleeing domestic violence.

“We are so very grateful for this donation. We have victims of domestic violence knock on our door and we’re able to tell them, ‘come in, you’re safe, it’s going to be all right, you’re not alone’. Thank you for allowing us to say those words as often as necessary, without restriction.”

The Y shelter provides safety and solace for women in the Bow Valley from Exshaw to Lake Louise and its success, said Crotty, relies on “dedicated staff, supportive municipal government officials and hundreds of donors and sponsors.”

CREB President Tom Scott said when you think of Banff, “you don’t think of domestic violence, it’s a holiday place. But it’s everywhere.”

Domestic violence is everywhere, said Kathryn Williams, director of programs and community support for the Y. “With huge gratitude I want to thank you for this $25,000.

“It’s difficult to obtain a full picture of domestic violence because it stays behind closed doors, but it’s the single largest women’s health issue in Canada.

“Imagine how humbling it would be to arrive at a shelter and be told there’s no funding, then being told to return to your home, where you’re not safe. It takes a woman eight or nine tries to leave her partner.”

The week before, said Williams, a woman was brought to the Y by police, severely beaten. In the past, because she’d already accessed funding, the Y would have had to turn her away. But, because the CREB donation was in hand, they were able to take her in.

A survey of 43 Alberta shelters, said Williams, showed that the biggest operational challenge was government funding. And Alberta, she said, has the highest rate of domestic violence in Canada, outside Nunavut.

The Y offers shelter, three meals a day, counselling for women and men and preventive programs in schools. In February, the Y served 183 people for affordable housing, with two staff. Currently, the wait list stands at 56.

To give an idea of the scale of domestic violence provincially, Williams said during one day in November, Alberta shelters assisted 744 women and 606 kids. That may appear to be a victory, but Williams also pointed out that 70 women and 78 kids were turned away due to lack of resources.

“During one year in Canada, 90,000 women and children were admitted to shelters. In Banff last year, we facilitated 200 nights.”

Joanna Bartad, of CREB’s board of governors, said 15 years ago, a group of realtors got together to form the charitable foundation. “Who knew we’d be able to grant $25,000 to 25 charities.

“At the YWCA, what you do makes our job easy and inspires us. Your commitment to the Bow Valley is awe inspiring.”


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