Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society Bread & Roses 2021

• Summer SAFE: Provides children impacted by family violence with a summer camp experience where they learn how to stay safe, build resiliency and most importantly to just have fun.
• Treehouse Child Care Program Activities: Sensory Bus visit, crafting supplies, sensory supplies, etc.
• Internet and Technology Access: COVID has made us realize how vital access to technology and the internet is for the families in shelter. It was a huge struggle for families to do school, work from home and access resources in general without the ability to connect digitally. Help us provide family violence victims with the tools they need to connect to our digital world.
• Make a House a Home: Ensures our families coming to stay at our second stage shelter have all the furniture and household items they need for their new home.
• Community and Family Activities: Trips to the Family Leisure Centre, crafts, activities in Shelter, etc.

“One child told me that their favourite part of the SAFE program was that when they went back to school in the fall they wouldn’t have to lie. On the first day of school each year, students are asked to share about their summer. This child would make up stories to hide that their summer was spent experiencing violence, abuse and isolation. They were excited to go back to school and tell their classmates real, true stories of the fun things that they did that year through SAFE."
- MHWSS Staff

"Many parents coming into shelter say their decision to leave the abuse is so they can give their children a better life. Part of that healing journey involves reconnecting as a family and learning how to thrive, not just survive. Activities to encourage positive family moments are validating for parents and a key part of programming,"
- MHWSS Staff