About us
The Women’s Centre was established in 1989 by a group of women who identified the need for a safe place within the community where women who had experienced abuse could receive after-care and ongoing support services. In 1991, The Women’s Centre became recognized and registered as a charitable organization.
Mission Statement
The Women’s Centre is dedicated to supporting women in crisis, distress or transition by providing programs and services to effect positive change.
Mandate
- To be open to all women regardless of age, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
- To focus activities on women, and meeting the needs of women.
- To offer peer counselling and support groups free of charge
- To educate women through seminars and workshops at the Centre
Guiding Principles
- Provide an environment of emotional and physical safety to foster a sense of empowerment.
- Listen, understand and validate women in a non-judgmental, safe, supportive atmosphere.
- Be sensitive to women’s choices and life circumstances.
- Enable women to have a voice through provision of opportunity, knowledge and support.
- Afford women equal opportunity to attain full potential.
- Respect all cultures and all differences.
- Partner with other organizations to meet the needs of women in our community.
- Promote anti-discrimination policies based on race, culture/sexual orientation, religion and disability.
Empowering our clients is at the root of our philosophy and mandate. Our philosophy is to welcome all women, to provide support and assistance in a non-judgemental, non-threatening environment that will give each woman the opportunity to be heard; to accept the equal worth of each woman and to value the individuality of her life experience; yet to acknowledge the shared commonality of women’s experience and the impact this experience and societal expectations have on women’s behaviours and choices. We are a community-based multi-service organization dedicated to empowering women through our support, information and programs.