April 12-18, 2015 is Prevention of Violence Against Women
Week. As part of its efforts to focus attention on the ongoing issue of family
violence, and galvanize the community to take action to help prevent it, the
Kelowna Women’s Shelter submitted this article.
Hairstylist Colleen Woelders arrived in
Kelowna on a bus from Vancouver Island 15 years ago, with a dislocated and
broken shoulder and her eight-month-old son in her arms. She was exhausted and
terrified, having finally gathered the courage to leave her partner after another
violent attack.
“He used to take the steel toed boots
to me, and he had kicked me several times in the past. This time I decided I
had enough and reached out for help,” she says.
A counsellor from the Kelowna Women’s
Shelter picked her and her infant son up at the bus station, and brought them
back to the Shelter, where Colleen could finally get some rest.
“I had been awake all night. Just the
feeling of being in a safe place with my son, where I could get some sleep and
start to gather my strength gave me such a sense of relief that I could breathe
and finally start to heal.”
In the coming weeks, Colleen cried a
lot of tears, attended countless individual and group counselling sessions, and
started to realize she didn't have to protect her abuser anymore.
“I was so brainwashed, fearful, tired
and beaten down,” she says now. “The counsellors at the Shelter were so
amazing, and it was powerful to go from being so controlled and dependent on
him to becoming a stronger and more independent woman.”
One day during her stay at the Shelter,
Colleen saw an employment posting for a hairdresser, and bravely walked in and
applied for the job.
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Fifteen years later, Colleen owns and
operates Kelowna Hair Design, and gives back by training high school students,
offering special needs employment opportunities, and providing free services to
Kelowna Women’s Shelter clients.
“I know what it feels like to be in
that situation. I will always have my chair open for that emergency colour for
the girl that’s running and hiding. I will step up and help her change her
appearance and do what I can to keep her safe and feeling good about herself.”
Of her time at the Shelter Colleen calls
it “lifesaving” and says if she can help one woman make the decision to leave
an abusive relationship by speaking out about her experience it is worth it.
“I want women who are in this situation
to know if they can face their fears and gather the courage to reach out for
help, there is a better, brighter, happier future ahead, and life can be
wonderful.”
The Kelowna Women’s
Shelter is a non-profit organization that offers emergency transitional
housing, counseling, support and education to women and their children who have
experienced abuse. For more information, or to make a donation, visit
kelownawomensshelter.ca or call 250-763-1040.
With some generous support from the
community, we’ve arranged a night filled with fun, food, entertainment and lots
of PRIZES. We’re looking forward to seeing all of you lucky ticket-holders on
June 12th at Sandhill Winery. 
-$1,000 custom granite counter top (60") by Absolut Granite.jpg)
You can pre-order a bouquet or hanging basket for only $29 by visiting our website: www.kelownawomensshelter.com.
The Kelowna Women's Shelter is grateful to Angel's Animal Rescue in Merritt, B.C. who have offered to take care of our client's pets when they come to the shelter.
Southern Insurance dropped by the Kelowna Women's Shelter this week with a generous $1000 donation, a truckload of great clothes and some yoga passes from Karma Yoga. Southern Insurance staff members all contributed cash, clothes or their time volunteering. Kim Warawa and Tanya made the presentation, Kim also arranged to have a crew come in and paint a new counselling area. Thank you all!
The Kelowna Women's Shelter is grateful to the generous staff and customers at Orchard Park Shopping Centre for a generous donation of $1500. Vikki Webster and Tanya Cormier, representatives of Orchard Park, recently presented the shelter with a cheque. The funds were raised during the mall's "Style Inspirers" campaign. Customers had a chance to win a $1000 shopping spree. How fun is that?! Thank you so much, Orchard Park, and thank you to all of the customers who donated!
