Photo courtesy of the Archway Society for Domestic Peace / Facebook

By Liam Verster

Supporting the Transition House, Local Programs

Increase in domestic violence supports needed sparks launch of local fundraiser

Sep 10, 2024 | 12:45 PM

The shelter that supports women and children who have experienced intimate partner or domestic violence had a major increase in services provided last year.

The Archway Society for Domestic Peace said the number of women and children served by its Transition House increased 62 per cent since the last fiscal year.

A total of 226 women were served for a total of 3,056 night stays, while 113 children were served for a combined 2,240 night stays.

The Archway Society said Vernon, like many other communities across Canada, has experienced a significant spike in intimate partner violence since 2020, but shelters across the country lack adequate funds to support people escaping domestic violence.

To support the local efforts to protect women and children from violence, the Archway Society has launched a Giving Shelter campaign to ensure services area funded and available.

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“Organizations like Archway Society for Domestic Peace help women who experience intimate partner violence, providing life-saving services such as safe shelter (transition house program), counselling, justice advocacy, child and youth advocacy, outreach services, and collaborative community projects. Our agency is invaluable in the community, providing support and counselling through 18 programs across six locations in the North Okanagan, designed to assist women, children and families in need,” Monica Kriese, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Archway Society for Domestic Peace, said in a release.

“Women’s shelters play an essential role in providing not only immediate safety, but also support, and resources for women in crisis, while also addressing broader social issues like homelessness, inequality, and gender-based violence.”

People can support the Giving Shelter campaign by donating at the Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Vernon, as well as at the Shoppers website. The campaign will run until October 4.

The Archway Society noted two in five Canadian women experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and that an estimated 80 per cent of these cases go unreported.