I have some exciting news to share today! Last week I was offered the opportunity to spearhead a pilot project at the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) and I wholeheartedly accepted the position of Conference Coordinator and Social Media Manager.

For those of you that know me well, you know the subject of violence against women is an important issue to me for both personal and humanitarian reasons. To be a part of a team that aspires to a future where all women and children live free of violence is something I have longed for since enrolling in George Brown College’s working with Assaulted Women and Children’s Counsellor/Advocate Program.

According to Statistics Canada, half of all Canadian women have survived at least one incident of sexual or physical violence and over a quarter (29%) of Canadian women have been assaulted by a spouse. A minimum of one million Canadian children have witnessed violence against their mothers by their fathers or father figures.

WomanACT is a policy development and planning body that coordinates an efficient and effective approach to providing services for assaulted women and their families. The 30 person general council is made up of senior level representatives of each of the key sectors in the community response to woman abuse. As a coordinating body, the Council: identifies gaps in service; supports and facilitates policy development and pilot projects; and undertakes research and actions that promote institutional and systemic change.

Since its incorporation in 1999, WomanACT has worked collaboratively with other sectors to develop:

• Protocols for Police, Crown Attorneys and Probation
• Best Practice Guidelines/Protocols and Resource Manual for health, social service practitioners and educational institutions
• Specialized domestic violence courts
• Women’s Court Watch Project to monitor domestic violence trials

I look forward to being at the launch of WomanACT’s new initiatives and training program for front line workers and health care providers where I will work to identify the main needs of these related agencies. You can expect to hear more from me as I implement their social media strategies and develop awareness through online efforts and social media campaigns.

And yes, ThinkSOS is very much active and alive however, the focus is changing to better develop the public speaking, coaching and training service offerings. I miss the days of teaching classes at the Learning Enrichment Foundation to new entrepreneurs. From Networking Skills workshops to the Moving Forward from Start-Up seminars, I am eager to deliver and create new and exciting workshops and seminars.

A special thank you goes out to friends, colleagues and family member for your continued support and words of wisdom that have guided me to so many changes both personally and professionally in the last six months.

 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I'm taking the opportunity to fund raise for a worthy cause during a 5K run: The Assaulted Women's Helpline, a 24-hour line for women who are seeking help with abusive relationships. They offer counselling, and referrals to shelters and legal offices, among other services. This past year alone the Helpline answered 49,000 calls.

Please support me today and together, we can make sure no call goes unanswered!

Any and all contributions would be greatly appreciated. All pledges $10 or greater will receive an official tax receipt.

You can donate at the following link:

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1272384