Together we are rebuilding lives after abuse.

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Dear ,

Summer is in full swing! The sun is shining and our residents are enjoying all that this lovely season has to offer.

Because of your support, the mothers and children of Interval House can enjoy family time, in a secure environment free from violence.

We hope you are having a wonderful summer season and thank you for your continued support.

Interval House's 2024 BESS Celebration!

This past month, we held our annual BESS Celebration! It was a special evening where we celebrated the achievements of our clients from the Building Economic Self-Sufficiency (BESS) program over the past year and shared updates on our new housing partnerships.

We were delighted to have Mayor Olivia Chow attend our event and help us recognize the incredible journeys of the women in our BESS program.

Among the many highlights of the evening, was the Valedictorian's inspiring speech where she spoke of the courage it takes to move forward after abuse and create a better future.

"Healing does not mean the damage never existed. It just means that the damage no longer controls your life. Embrace your new normal with pride! Knowing that the people with the worst past can create the best future."

- Valedictorian, BESS Celebration 2024

We are so proud of our BESS clients and their amazing accomplishments!

Updates on New Programming at Interval House!

BESS Financial Literacy Pilot Project

Survivors of intimate partner violence often face many financial challenges. Our Financial Literacy Pilot Project provides participants with financial literacy knowledge, a $1000 Learning Tool, and hands-on, skills-based activities and workshops to help them reach their financial goals.

Clients from the first cohort continue to attend workshops covering topics like: How to Get Out of Debt, Researching Benefit Programs, and How to Handle An Unexpected Expense of $500. They've also found ongoing individual check-ins very beneficial in providing them additional support throughout their journey to financial independence.

The second cohort of the project has just begun! This month's sessions focus on a variety of topics including Budgeting, Money Management, Credit and Debt Management, Savings, Investing, Fraud, and Financial Goals.

We're very excited for our clients to expand their knowledge and become more financially secure, independent, and confident!

Virtual Counselling Services Pilot

The Virtual Counselling Services Pilot is in full motion! The program is moving along well and sessions are underway.

Our Virtual Counselling Pilot is a free, province-wide service catered to survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to aid them at every step of their journey towards healing by providing barrier-free access to IPV support.

The program pairs survivors with one-one-one counselling sessions and also provides them with access to a wide selection of e-Books from our online counselling portal. They cover a variety of topics such as the Cycle of Abuse, Safety Planning, Communication, and Grief and Loss.

The resources, tools and practices provided in the program are crucial in helping survivors overcome trauma and attain safety, security, and harmony in their lives after abuse.

If you are interested in supporting our new programming, or would like to learn more, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 416-924-1411 ext. 238.

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What's Happening in BESS?

The second round of the Self-Sufficiency Workshop Series has successfully concluded! This workshop series is an 8-week program designed for women survivors of intimate partner violence, who are currently unemployed, to address barriers to success, and facilitate healing from abuse.

Through these resources and tools, our clients were able to progress in their journeys towards healing, connect with other women, and learn strategies to promote self-sufficiency!

We look forward to continuing the workshop series with a next round of clients soon!

For this month's Employment Group Sharing Session, the clients discussed the topic, "How Deep is the Fear and How Far Do We Let It Get in the Way of Our Goals?". Fear is highly nuanced and when left unchecked, it can justify and make decisions on our behalf.

The group had meaningful discussions that dove deep into the idea of fear, how to understand it, how to tackle it, and how to overcome it to accomplish our goals.

BESS Program Workshops

BESS also hosted a workshop this month called, "Building Connections", which highlighted the importance of networking. The group learned common methods and practices used to build and maintain strong connections in the workplace.