An afternoon program at Battlefords Interval House May 27 marked the celebration of 35 years of service to the Battlefords and surrounding area.
Board chair Cheryl Cook-Taylor recognized the many agencies Interval House works with on a regular basis, most of which were represented at the gathering.
"The complexity of family violence demands an equally complex response and no single agency can solve the problem," said Cook-Taylor. "We appreciate that any positive impact depends on a co-ordinated community response."
Linda Selin, director of the Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Program Unit of the Ministry of Justice's community justice division was the guest speaker. Selin, who has been working in the area for most of the time the Battlefords Interval House has been operating, said she knows from personal experience how much is involved in the services they provide to women and children.
"The only reason that we're all here is because there are women and children in need and we want to provide the very best services we can to ensure that people are safe and that they can move on to violence-free lives," said Selin. "There is nothing more important than that."
She credited the board members, volunteers who help raise money and the staff.
"It is not an easy job," she said. "It's a very difficult job that involves putting aside one's personal feelings and focusing on the needs of the people we're working with."
Fortunately, she said, there are more choices for women and more supports for women and children nowadays.
"And it all starts here when people have a chance to be safe and stop and think about how they want to go through life."
Selin said she is seeing an increasing awareness about interpersonal violence and abuse.
"There are more people talking and more people recognizing that we have to move forward not only with women and children but with men and boys. We are able to work with both halves of this equation. We've got a long ways to go but we are a lot further along the journey than we were 30 years ago in terms of public awareness."
She said, "It takes a lot of courage to come to Interval House, it takes a lot of courage to carry on after one finds a new direction in life and it takes a lot of heart to work here."
A former client of Interval House was there to express her gratitude to the staff.
"Thank you for all your support and for helping everybody who comes through these doors," she said.
Executive Director Ann McArthur said, "We like to think Interval House is a unique shelter in that the employees here are few, but we're mighty."
Some of the long-term staff have been at the shelter since the beginning, which has created a close-knit family-like atmosphere, she said.
"Unfortunately, one of our long term counsellors is not here to celebrate our 35-year milestone with us," said McArthur.
She talked of June Ernst, who dedicated 35 and half years to Interval, working with clients in a non-judgemental, quiet manner, often interacting with them in the kitchen.
"June is best known and remembered for her bannock," said McArthur.
In June of 2014 she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and succumbed in August.
"Through her battle she never gave up her huge smile or huge sense of humour," she said.
In an unveiling ceremony, the shelter's kitchen was officially named June's Kitchen in honour of their lost co-worker.
Cook-Taylor provided a history of the shelter, now in its second building.
The first building was a six-bedroom bi-level and was licensed for 16 residents. It served their needs for almost 14 years.
"However," she said, "the need to be accessible to people with disabilities was becoming more evident. There was also an increasing need for additional office and storage space, so when this current building became available the board of directors decided to make a move."
After many hours of renovations and volunteer labour, said Cook-Taylor, they relocated to the new site in late 1993.
The new shelter offers more conveniences to residents and staff members.
"Security and supervision are much easier to maintain with the entire living area on the main floor," said Cook-Taylor. "Safety of the children in a fenced-in back yard was also an added bonus and, of course, the larger shelter just made life a little bit easier for everybody."
Over the past 22 years there have been many changes and improvements made, she said, made possible mainly through donations or renovations grants.
"The children's play area has been redesigned to allow more space, all windows have been upgraded, our fence has been upgraded the deck area has been enclosed … landscaping has been improved and new furnaces and air conditioners have been installed to offer a more comfortable environment in both summer and winter months," said Cook-Taylor.
The Interval House staff consists of two administration, five full-time counsellor positions, a full-time shelter support worker, a half-time child care worker and four casual members. The newest staff member has just completed two months while the longest serving staff member has been there since the very beginning, she said,
Operation funding comes from the provincial government's Ministry of Justice, she said, but it is the support by the community through donations of cash, food, gift items and household items that "allow for a little extra for our clients."
