Health and Community Services
Executive Council
Transportation Works
September 24, 2010
New Transition House in Carbonear Officially
Opened
O'Shaughnessy House, a safe and secure
transition house for women and children escaping violence, was
officially opened today in the community of Carbonear through a
Provincial Government investment of $1.2 million. This includes
$411,000 for one-time repairs and
renovations, and $816,200 for staffing, household and operating costs.
"The Williams Government recognizes the
critical role transition houses play in communities throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador, and is committed to investing in programs and
services which provide protection and safety for residents in this
province," said the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and
Community Services and MHA for Carbonear-Harbour Grace. "O'Shaughnessy
House will not only provide safe and secure shelter for those living in
abusive environments, but will also offer individual support and
encouragement for women and their children."
Minister Kennedy was joined for the official
opening today by Mary Dwyer, Chair, Board of Directors, Iris Kirby
House; Gail Tobin, Executive Director, Iris Kirby House; Sister Sharon
Fagan, Congregation Leader, Presentation Congregation; and, Morley
Linstead, Manager, Home Assistance Program, Newfoundland Labrador
Housing.
The 15-bed transition house will provide
24-hour emergency accommodation and a crisis telephone line, crisis
intervention and prevention, food, shelter and referrals to appropriate
services such as housing, income support, employment and legal services.
It will also offer weekly empowerment and social groups. Occupancy is
expected to begin on October 1.
"It is community organizations and women's
organizations who have led the way in advocating for and operating
women's shelters in Newfoundland and Labrador," said the Honourable
Kathy Dunderdale, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.
"Shelters like O'Shaughnessy House and the Iris Kirby House not only
keep us well-informed of the realities of violence in our province, but
the workers are on the front-lines, striving everyday to make a
difference for the women and children that walk through their doors. The
Provincial Government is supporting these shelters in their roles and I
am proud of our support for this new shelter, as well as our violence
prevention commitments in the province."
O'Shaughnessy House also received $394,752
from Newfoundland Labrador Housing to support portions of the
construction and project management costs, along with asbestos abatement
and environmental, safety plan and training inspections.
"Newfoundland Labrador Housing has been
supportive of this initiative from the beginning and we are pleased to
be a partner in this worthwhile cause," said the Honourable Tom
Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible
for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. "I believe all of us
here today share a confidence in the ability of O'Shaughnessy House to
make a positive difference in the lives of the women and children who
find themselves in the most difficult of circumstances and are in need
of professional and reassuring support to help them cope and move on."
The first transition house opened in St.
John's in 1981 when the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Advisory
Council on the Status of Women lobbied for funding on behalf of women
and children living in abusive environments.
"Strong government and community partnerships
saw this project become a reality," said Gail Tobin, Executive Director,
Iris Kirby House. "The opening of this new facility certainly validates
for our clients that they have the support of a caring community, which
is an important piece in the healing process for an abused woman as she
moves forward to a life free from domestic violence."
Budget 2010:
The Right Investments — For
Our Children and Our Future
includes approximately $4.5 million in
operational funding for nine transition houses in Newfoundland and
Labrador, including St. John's, Marystown, Gander, Corner Brook, Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador City, Nain, Hopedale, and Rigolet. An
additional $200,000 will be invested to support a pilot project to
review safety and security issues within transition houses throughout
the province.
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Media contacts:
2010 09 24
1:15 p.m.
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