Latest news with #IntervalHouse
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Handmaid's Tale' author Margaret Atwood coming to Hamilton
The author of 'The Handmaid's Tale' will be in Hamilton in November. Local shelter Interval House of Hamilton will hold 'An Evening with Margaret Atwood' at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. to boost funding for women and children escaping abuse. TVO's Steve Paikin will host the hour-long conversation, which will touch on themes of power, gender, justice and the evolution of feminism and women's rights. Ticket prices are $75 for general admission and $125 for preferred seating and an exclusive VIP reception from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are available at . Interval House is hosting the event in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. All proceeds will go to organization, a 26-bed shelter for women and children fleeing violence. The proceeds will fund shelter operations, counselling, transitional housing and programs for survivors. Hamilton Convention Centre is located at 1 Summers Lane . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@
CBC
21-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Ontario's next government must address 'pain and injustice' of intimate partner violence, say Hamilton groups
Even when a one-of-a-kind program is supporting over 100 rural women experiencing intimate partner violence, it's still hard to find the money to keep it running, says the head of Hamilton's Interval House. Interval executive director Sue Taylor said she's looking for real action from whichever party wins the provincial election next week, with more permanent funding for programs that address an alarming rate of domestic violence, especially in areas overlooked like rural communities. "We need leadership from our government," said Taylor. "The City of Hamilton has declared intimate partner violence an epidemic. I look forward to Ontario doing the same." The province has yet to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, despite a push by the Ontario NDP and dozens of municipalities. Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles said declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic would mean treating it as a public health crisis and devoting resources to fighting it. The Ontario NDP put forward Bill 173 last year, requiring the government to declare an epidemic, but a motion to pass it was struck down. Instead, the Progressive Conservative government announced it would study the issue first. That committee's work was cut short in December amid speculation an election would soon be called, which it was. It was also the top recommendation of a corner's inquest a couple of years ago into the 2015 deaths of three women in Renfrew County — a mostly rural area outside Ottawa. Taylor said Interval House's recent experiences trying to offer services to vulnerable women and their children in rural areas demonstrates the challenges providers continue to face and why the province needs to step up. Rural areas under serviced While Interval House provides emergency shelter and supports within the city for women and their children experiencing abuse or violence, historically there have been no similar in-person programs for women living within most of Hamilton's tens of thousands of rural acres, said Taylor. The exception is Interval House's Flamborough Women's Resource Centre, said Judi Partridge, who co-founded the satellite location in 2005. "Intimate partner violence knows no scale of economy," said the former Hamilton city councillor. "You've got women who are living in beautiful homes and yet they're only allowed to go out for an hour to do their shopping, they're given a certain amount of money and if they don't come back, they're living under constant threats like, 'you'll never see your children again.'" Rural women experience gender-based violence at a rate 75 per cent higher than urban women and five times higher than rural men, says recent national data compiled by Western University. Feeling "deeply concerned" for the safety of women living in Hamilton's other rural communities, Taylor said Interval House cobbled together temporary funding from the city, province and a charity to launch the Women's Education and Rural Support (WARES) program a year ago. Through WARES, two workers meet with women in discreet locations like libraries, food banks and recreation centres to build up their self esteem, offer support and develop safety plans. One year in and WARES has already met with 100 women experiencing initiate partner violence in the rural areas of Upper Stoney Creek, Glancaster, Binbrook, Dundas, Ancaster and Winona, Taylor said. Some of the funding was temporary, said Taylor, and she hasn't been able to find a replacement yet, meaning worker hours have to be reduced. "Where is it justifiable that their services are diminished to practically nothing?" Taylor said. NDP will declare epidemic if elected Advocates have counted 48 femicides in rural Ontario in the last five years, including two in Elgin County, outside London, in 2024. Tanya Wiebe, 38, was killed by her partner who police said later took his own life. Victoria Dill, 40, was found with a gunshot wound at a property with an active house fire and died in hospital. Two men are awaiting trial for second-degree murder and arson charges. CBC Hamilton reached to the four major political parties about what they'll do to address domestic abuse if elected. Only the PCs and NDP responded. The PCs say it has invested $1.4 billion annually to address and prevent gender-based violence, as well as $247 million to fund emergency shelters, counselling, 24-hour crisis lines, safety planning and transitional housing. "We will continue to support our law enforcement to protect women and support victims," said the party in a statement. The NDP said it has has led the fight to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic numerous times, but has been voted down by the PCs. If elected, Stiles will ensure it's declared an epidemic, address court backlogs for criminal charges related to intimate partner violence and increase transparency and accountability into how sexual assault investigations are handled, the party said. At a Hamilton Centre candidates debate on Tuesday, Green and Liberal candidates also said their parties support expanding services for women experiencing gender-based and sexual violence. Intimate partner violence is a widespread problem within urban areas, as well as rural, and resources remain scarce there, too, even with additional provincial funding announced, said Hamilton advocates with the Women Abuse Working Group (WAWG) and city staff. "We strongly agree that the current funding is not sufficient to meet the growing challenges in our community, especially as it relates to the lack of shelter space and gaps in rural support services," Rachelle Ihekwoaba, a community strategies manager with the city, told councillors earlier this month. She noted the province has called for proposals for up to $5 million to address intimate partner violence and is hoping to hear soon if local organizations will receive it. There's a six-month wait for counselling services in Hamilton and women's shelters are often full, said Thea Symonds, with WAWG. In 2023, for example, 5,644 requests for shelter from women experiencing violence were turned down because of the bed shortage. "These statistics alone tell a story of pain and injustice and are deeply rooted in inequalities we can't ignore," Symonds said.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Interval House, OPP raises awareness for teen dating violence on Valentine's Day
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — This Valentine's Day, advocates in Hartford brought awareness to teen dating violence. At a press conference Friday morning, leaders of Interval House, a nonprofit that runs a safe house and provides services for victims of domestic violence, highlighted the prevention work they have been engaged in across the state. They also raised concerns about the impacts they may face from a potential loss of federal funding. Lawmakers advocating for bills to help veterans and veteran families this legislative session According to a 2013 study, one in three Americans between 14 and 20 years old reported they were victims of dating violence. Another study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 found that roughly one in 12 high school students reported having experienced physical dating violence. The same CDC study also reported that about one in 10 high school students experienced sexual dating violence. 'Let me repeat that,' Mary-Jane Foster, President and CEO of Interval House said. 'One in three teens report that he or she experiences physical or sexual violence in their dating relationship.' In terms of prevention programs, Interval House has been teaming up with groups like Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) to reach young people in the state. OPP holds teen dating workshops aimed at educating youth about red flags in relationships. Tajah Ryder, a youth life coach with OPP, said that through these workshops, she has seen some students begin to identify red flags in their own dating experiences. In one teen dating violence workshop, Ryder said, a coach from OPP displayed a slide listing signs of unhealthy relationships. 'I had a young person, a 15-year-old female, sitting next to me and she whispered, she was like, 'Miss, all those signs, I've experienced in a past relationship and I had no idea that it was that bad,'' Ryder said. Ryder added that the workshops OPP runs are especially crucial, as teen dating violence may be a difficult topic for teachers, mentors, or other adults to bring up. 'It's also nice to watch the young people kind of become their own teachers and really educate their peers as well through the process,' Ryder said. Candidates for State Senate special election highlight their campaign Ryder also noted the role that technology can play in contributing to or exacerbating teen dating violence. To address these issues, OPP has developed workshops specifically focused on 'technological abuse.' 'I think we know the aspects of like, sharing your location with a partner, constantly texting a partner but a like of folks don't really connect the dots to understand when that can be borderline abusive,' Ryder said. Teen dating violence is a part of Interval House's broader mission to aid all victims of family and partner violence. Along with the 20-bed safe house in Hartford, they also provide a 24-hour hotline, counseling services and funding for victim advocates in court. Foster said that roughly 80% of the federal funding they receive for those advocate positions could face cuts. She said that this could amount to $600,000 out of the Interval House budget which would cause them to lose 10 court advocates. Meanwhile, members of Connecticut's Congressional delegation, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, are pushing to preserve that funding. Those in need can call the Interval House hotline at 860-838-8467 (or 844-831-9200 español). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
There's a misperception about teen dating violence in CT. ‘There is a disbelief that it can happen'
Teenagers across the country are experiencing high rates of dating violence, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, The CDC reports that 1 in 12 teenagers experience physical dating violence and 1 in 10 teenagers experience sexual dating violence. Females are more at risk according to the survey. Hartford's Interval House, the state's largest domestic violence agency, is seeking to highlight this issue and will hold a press conference at Connecticut State Community College's Capital Campus in Hartford on Friday at 11:30 a.m. as February is recognized as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Mary-Jane Foster, president and CEO of Interval House, said the biggest misconception about teen dating violence is that people don't think it's happening. 'We somehow think that our young adults are too young and too new to the world of relationships to experience abuse of any kind,' Foster said. 'It's a very big barrier and there is a disbelief that it can happen to a 12- or 13-year-old. According to a CDC study, over 80% of parents don't know that this is happening to their child but one in three children are reporting it.' Foster said many trends parallel with adult abusive relationships, not just with physical abuse but also with cyber stalking. 'In particular with teens, there is cyber stalking and the whole technology of abuse with dozens of texts that rise to the level of stalking constantly asking, 'Where are you?' or 'Why aren't you talking to me?' 'Who are you with?' 'I don't want you to play soccer because that is time away from me' or 'I don't want you studying at the library because it takes time away from me.' There are many cases of an abusive teen is regulating and controlling another teen's life,' Foster said. 'It's prevalent. But it's important to talk about it. If we don't, it will only get worse. It's fascinating going into middle schools and high schools and teens are willing to talk to you about this,' she said. 'Even if it's not about their life, they will tell you about their friend's life. As teens begin to open up, stories come out and they are receptive and want to know what a real relationship is and what is normal.' Foster said the best way to contend with this issue is prevention. Approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 'Without intervention, two out of these young witnesses of abuse will repeat those behaviors in their own adult relationships,' Foster said. 'The only way we can manage these numbers is to work harder on prevention. This is information that needs to be out there in a consistent fashion so people can hear it more than once. Prevention has to be regular and consistent to stick because everyone deserves healthy friendships, romantic and family relationships.' Sofia Veronesi, 20, claimed that she experienced teen dating violence for 2 1/2 years. The Bristol resident and college student said she is a proud survivor and is looking to educate and help other teenagers who may be experiencing what she went through. Veronesi said she was a teen when she had a boyfriend, and it took her some time to realize she was being abused. 'I simply turned a cheek to because I deemed it as normal relationship behavior,' Veronesi said. 'I had nothing to compare it to. It started with me quitting my co-ed sport and then snowballed over the next 2 1/2 years into physical, mental and sexual abuse. 'My brain has seemed to block out a lot of the violent memories, but one vivid instance I remember was on my… birthday. I made plans to spend the day with him, and it quickly turned unpleasant. We began to argue. I'm not sure what about, and before I knew it, I had been struck in the face, leaving me bleeding and a mark on my forehead. I easily dismissed it as an accident and lied to my whole family that day later at my party and told them his dog had scratched me. In retrospect, there was always an excuse for his actions, and I was always somehow the one apologizing.' Over time the mental and physical abuse escalated, she alleged. She claimed that the relationship 'altered the course of some of the most pivotal and developmental years of her life and despite having a loving family,' she was isolated and felt like she could tell no one what she had been experiencing. In 2022, Veronesi spent a long weekend with her cousins and confided with them that she was in an unhealthy relationship and decided to end the relationship for good. 'He did not take this lightly,' Veronesi alleged. 'I had been harassed for days to share my location with him, send him pictures of who I was with, and threats of him coming to find me at night while staying on the beach. I blocked his number, but he would create anonymous numbers from a number generator app, which gave him endless communication with me. I decided to unblock his number because there was no hope of never hearing from him again.' She arrived back at home at 8 a.m. the next morning and claimed that she woke up an hour later with her boyfriend hovering over her. 'He was furious with me; I could see it in his eyes,' Veronesi alleged. 'He accused me of cheating and ripped my phone from my hands. I was helpless. He began to plead with me, 'How could you do this to me?' I begged him to leave. Before I knew it, I was struck in the face once again. I demanded he leave, and I ripped my phone from him. I ran into my bathroom and screamed for help from my parents despite being home alone with him. He attacked me again, this time pushing me into a windowsill and leaving me concussed, covered in broken glass. He fled the house after that, and I sat there in tears, knowing what I had to do.' Left trembling with fear and begging for her family to come home immediately, Veronesi said she didn't want to call the police to admit to the severity of the circumstance to herself, but she ultimately did. Her boyfriend was arrested later that day and faced three felony charges. 'Unfortunately, I waited for the worst, but it almost felt inevitable,' Veronesi said. 'I had finally gotten the courage to leave, and this was what I had been fearing would happen. I am truly blessed to be where I am, but all women in this situation should know they don't have to wait for the worst to escape. There are resources out there to protect you from your abusers, despite how alone you may feel.' Veronesi said during her unhealthy relationship she had lost all of her friends and felt cut off from the norms of healthy relationships. 'I associated and downplayed my ex-boyfriend's abusive behavior with anger issues initially until, evidently, more than just anger. I had friends shame me because of my relationship and made fun of me for being abused rather than help me,' she said. Over the last two years, Veronesi has spoken at multiple occasions on behalf of the Interval House, telling her story. 'Being a survivor is rooted in everything I do and stand for,' Veronesi said. 'While sometimes it is hard to think of the experiences I endured, they have made me a resilient, confident and grateful human. One who is proud to simply be alive because there were moments when I feared for my life. Being a survivor is even rooted in my studies as a college student. I am dedicated to finding work in legislation to mandate teen dating violence prevention into educational methods in middle and high schools. 'I am proud to say I have built myself into a stronger woman than I ever was before and have used the experience to be an advocate rather than still live in fear,' Veronesi said. 'Lastly, I would like to tell the women or girls out there that love should not hurt. No individual should ever have you in a situation where your life is no longer your own. You are brave, and there are ways to get out that will protect you. You are loved, and you are capable of having the life you deserve,' she concluded. National non-profit organization One Love Foundation, based in Baltimore, Maryland, has a 'goal of ending relationship abuse. We empower young people with the tools and resources they need to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring life-saving prevention education to their communities.' The foundation was created to honor the tragic death of University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend on May 3, 2010 just three weeks before graduating from college. One Love Foundation has a free educational website on teen dating violence with a curriculum as well as an activity and film-based workshops. 'Knowledge is power,' said One Love Foundation CEO Julie Myers. 'So, if people understand what our kids are juggling and what they're trying to manage before they really have the tools or experience to manage a whole lot of them. Just keeping the parents in the loop and the trusted adults in the loop — it can be really lifesaving.' Myers said national statistics are trending in the wrong direction as far as teen dating violence. 'I do think a lot of people have started to understand what an unhealthy or an abusive relationship looks like,' Myers said. 'I think people are slowly talking about it a little bit more often. When you look at the national stats and police reports, you realize that almost 90% of those killed through domestic violence are women. It is a huge public health issue for women in particular, although it is affecting more and more men and transgender, LGBTQ, really people everywhere. The trends are not going in our favor. I think a lot more awareness has to happen, a lot more education.' February was declared the month as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in 2011, and Myers said raising awareness is critical. 'There are 1.4 million high school students every year that are dealing with teen dating violence and only 33% of those teens actually told anybody about the abuse. We are just looking to normalize it and giving it language so people can say that this is happening to me, this is what I'm feeling or experiencing so that people know how to get help,' Myers said. 'Most of the abuse happens between ages 16 and 24. I know we're teaching our kids how to drive, and we're hoping that they make varsity and that they become All-Americans and go to college. What we need to be doing is asking about their friendships and their relationships and what it is that makes them happy and what is it and what they enjoy doing and what behaviors they value the most,' Myers said. Myers said trusted adults like parents, coaches and teachers need to recognize that kids may need some help here and there and the best way to help is consistently check in and show compassion. Social media and technology have added newer aspects to this abuse in recent years and teens need to put guardrails and boundaries. 'There's also the pressure of kids feeling like they need to reply right away to their partner and if they wait two minutes, is that going to cause a problem? These kids are kind of holding onto their significant others for almost 24 hours a day unless they have boundaries around their cell phone and set that expectation of 'Hey, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. I'm not on my phone, so please don't look for me to get right back to you.' You know, there's the whole following of (phone) locations that can be great in some moments but can be really problematic pretty quickly in other moments. It's having the conversation of, 'Hey tonight I know you want to make sure I made it home I think you share my location tonight but tomorrow I'm going to turn it off, but thanks for your concern tonight,'' Myers said. 'These are topics you wouldn't have to think of years ago and now these kids have to contend with it is not easy. They don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and it's really flattering when somebody wants your attention all the time. So really, it's helping kids understand that that could also lead to an intensity and a possessiveness that becomes really unhealthy,' she added. Dr. G. Duncan Harris, CEO of Capital Community College, is a member of Men Make a Difference Advocates for Healthy Relationships, an organization founded by Interval House and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal in 2019. He said that while 72% percent of the school's students are female, and while domestic violence affects males and females, it disproportionately impacts women 'and many of our students have been impacted.' 'We have to keep informing the youth about this topic,' Harris said. 'We want to do our part in slowing down the shocking amount of domestic violence that is happening. Young men have mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and friends that are impacted. We need to educate them on this topic as well.'
