Cowichan Women Against Violence Society (CWAVS) works from a feminist perspective to provide a supportive environment primarily to women and children who have been affected by violence and/or abuse. We support diversity, change, choice and growth through counselling, advocacy, emergency shelter, community development and education. Our Vision is to provide shelter and services for women and children living with the impact of physical or sexual abuse or violence. On a macro level, our hope is to provide not only refuge from violence but to provide a community within which abused women and their children can develop the capacity to establish themselves for the long term in a safe and secure situations freed from the threat of violence. We do so by educating the public about violence and abuse and its alternatives and the services that exist to provide a refuge and opportunities for change for women and children facing violence in their homes. Our work brings attention to the root causes of violence toward women in the Cowichan Valley and the need for the community to participate in developing strategies for preventing violence. CWAVS was started in the 1970s by a group of concerned women who wanted to establish a local rape crisis centre to provide local women with a place to find help. They looked for grant money and facilities. With a grant from Employment and Immigration, the founders hired the first staff to help them operate a limited Crisis Line in December 1980. By the following year, they had established a 24-hour Crisis Line which has been in operation ever since. CWAVS opened a transition house (Somenos House) in 1986 and it has provided a refuge for women and children escaping abusive relationships since. Stopping the Violence long-term counselling was added in the early 1990s. Relevant to this grant application, the Children Who Witness Abuse (CWWA) program for children who have seen their mothers being abused was added in the 90s as was the Horizons Pre-Employment program which helps abused women explore their capacities for returning to the work force. The Safer Futures program began in the late 90’s as a series of pilot partnership projects with the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), examining women’s safety in rural communities. It officially became a society program in 2000, and has since carried out three multi-year initiatives. In 2003, Safer Futures received an award for its work from Women in Cities International. CWAVS has been a continuous part of the Cowicahn Valley region for 35 years. A Board of dedicated women governs the organization. Over the years, the society has acquired sufficient revenue to retire the mortgage on Somenos House and to fund the programs that have been added over the years. The organization has a dedicated staff that includes an executive director, bookkeeper and receptionist in Administration; Stopping the Violence and Children Who Witness Abuse counsellors, Victim Service Workers, And Strengtheneing Families and Strengthening Youth group facilitators in our Women Against Violence Against Women Program; Workshop and Case Managers in our Horizons Pre-Employment for Women Program; Community Based Social Researchers and program coordinators in our Safer Futures Program; and, Transition House Counsellors, Family Support Workers and support staff for Somenos House. The Society is affiliated with the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses and was an early participant in the Violence is Preventable (VIP) Program. We are members of the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia - EVA BC.
