NC Child and Youth Care Students raise awareness for abused women through their Bound for Change initiative on March 6, including (from left) Krista Bird, Lindsay Mathewson, Samantha Davis, Chelsea Williams, Rachelle Goulet and Kaylee McKay.
Raising awareness and funds for abused women in advance of International Women Day, seven students proved they were literally, bound for change.
On March 6, the group of students from the Child and Youth Care Services program spent 12 hours of the day with their wrists tied in purple ribbon – symbolizing of the hardships women go through in abusive relationships. The colour purple is a predominant colour in the women’s movement and is a symbol of promoting the awareness (and prevention of) of domestic violence.
They also spent much of their day –when not in class – in the Applied Health Institute foyer at the Welland Campus, raising awareness about domestic violence and funds for Nova House, a shelter for abused women in Niagara Falls run by Women’s Place of South Niagara.
The initiative was part of a project for their first-year Group Dynamics class to develop and complete a fundraising activity.
Lead organizer Samantha Davis once lived at Nova House and knows the importance of services it provides to women and children first-hand. She noted that Bound for Change was a success.
“We all found it really rewarding being able to educate and spread awareness for such a great cause. We all learned a lot about how important it is to have a support group,” she said. “There was so much hidden symbolism that came out over the day – the way we had to help each other accomplish everyday tasks was very similar to the resources and work that Nova House does, in helping women re-establish themselves after a bad relationship.”
In addition to Davis, students involved with Bound for Change included Chelsea Williamson, Krista Bird, Olivia Allen, Kaylee MacKay, Rachelle Goulet and Lindsay Mathewson.
The students’ idea and efforts were applauded by Alison Rider who, in addition to her part-time role at Niagara College as academic advisor, Student Services, is vice-president of the board of directors for Women’s Place of South Niagara.
“Women’s Place relies on third party fundraisers like these to exist,” said Rider. “Last year alone, we housed over 300 women and children in Niagara, received an average of five phone calls/day on our distress lines, and are required to raise $500,000 a year in order to maintain services and supports in our two Niagara emergency shelters.”
The group raised $300 in donations for Nova House at the event on March 6, and donations are still being collected on the Women’s Place website: www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/womens-place-of-south-niagara-inc
Posted March 3: Bound for Change: Bound for Change: Students to raise awareness, funds for Nova House March 6
