Dr Margaret Savage Crisis Centre
Box 419 T9M 1P4 Cold Lake, AB, Canada

#ThoughtfulThursday Do you ever have a "Nervous stomach" when you feel stressed? This post is shared by our Community Support Worker, Ashley, who likes to drink peppermint tea whenever she gets a nervous stomach. Ashley also enjoys chamomile tea at bedtime - in fact, just the calming scent of chamomile puts her to sleep! Ashley is part of our great team of community support workers who provide free, confidential, 1:1 support! Interested in connecting with a community suppor...t worker? Bonnyville Outreach: 780-826-1646 Cold Lake Outreach: 780-826-9586

Many domestic violence victims suffer in silence. Enduring a steady pattern of abuse and humiliation at home, they bravely attempt to present a solid exterior in public. Sometimes they pull it off; usually, they do not. We notice the signs. Whether physical or emotional, red flags are flying. You do not need to visit our shelter to receive help from us. Our 24/7 Helpline can offer shelter services, help you explore options, offer resources, crisis intervention, referrals, o...r to connect you with an outreach worker. 780-594-3353 https://www.domesticshelters.org//how-social-stigma-silenc

We are echoing the words from the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS), in solidarity for justice for Cindy Gladue, mother of three, who was brutally murdered in 2011. We hope to see justice for Cindy and her family as her case is re-tried. We stand with you. #CindyGladue https://www.aptnnews.ca//nearly-10-years-after-her-death-/ To access the thread on twitter by ACWS: https://twitter.com/womenshelter/status/1350145052136206336

Our #ThoughtfulThursday today shares more ways to incorporate visual affirmations into your life! We all need daily reminders throughout the day of how strong and resilient we are. Affirming our own worth, positive self-talk, friends, family, co-workers can help us in reminding us of our strength and resilience. Looking for more ways to remind yourself of your strength and resilience? Our Outreach team offers free, confidential, 1:1 support and more!... Bonnyville Outreach: 780-826-1646 Cold Lake Outreach: 780-826-9586

Tonight would have been our in-person Candlelight Vigil, something we do annually during Family Violence Prevention Month. This year, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, we have decided to postpone our in-person vigil. We still wanted to honour those impacted and continue to be impacted by family violence. Please remember that our shelter and helpline can be reached at 780-594-3353 and our Outreach team is still providing one-on-one support. ... We are hopeful to host an in-person vigil when it’s safe to do so. We encourage you to light a candle at home tonight if you are able. Stay safe and stay warm

"The Act of Remembrance They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.... We will remember them." We are grateful for those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. Lest we forget. https://www.cbc.ca//remembrance-day-2020-how-to-watch-cbc-

In an effort to do our part in reducing gatherings, the DMSCC will be POSTPONING OUR IN-PERSON CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. Instead, Outreach team will be lighting a candle tonight at 7:00 pm to honour those who are impacted and continue to be impacted by domestic violence. We encourage those who can to light a candle in their homes.... We're looking forward to inviting you all to our in-person candlelight vigil once we can safely do so. Our 24/7 Helpline and Shelter, and Outreach services remain open and operational and can be reached at 780-594-3353

Our teams at Orbiting Trends and Ella's Closet are co-hosting this amazing auction event THIS FRIDAY! They have collected around 50 items for this fast paced auction that just in time for decorating for the holidays!!! Be sure to hit GOING on the auction event page so you can participate in this great fundraising initiative with 100% proceeds for the Dr Margaret Savage Crisis Centre!

Thank you to Osum Oil Sands Corp. for their support and for highlighting the some of the many barriers victims and survivors of domestic violence face. To reach our 24/7 Helpline, or to access Shelter services, please call: 780-594-3353

With the colder days come with shorter daylight - a time of year that drastically impacts mental health in many. It's normal to have some days when you feel down. Feeling like you're struggling? Our 24/7 Helpline and Community Outreach services are confidential, and free of charge. Our team offers one-on-one support, advocacy, referrals, information, and more. In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. You are no...t alone. Helpline: 780-594-3353 We are so thrilled that Imperial Oil Cold Lake is supporting mental health initiatives across Canada, with every download of their free Speedpass+ app from October 14-28, $5 will be donated to mental health initiatives across Canada. #FuelWhatMatters

We are so thrilled to be the recipients of a cash donation from SITE Resource Group's Charity Golf Tournament earlier this year! They’ve chosen to support charities local to where they work and live, and their support directly helps our programs. COVID-19 has driven a wedge in a lot of our fundraising plans, and has challenged us to increase all safeguards to ensure that our shelter program is undisrupted during these unprecedented times. While we have been working hard to green and bear it, we are continuously honoured to be supported by tee-rific organizations like SITE. Thank you for believing in the work that we do for the community and for supporting our resilience!

Do you recognize where this picture is taken? (Answer below!) For Family Violence Prevention Month, our teams in Cold Lake and Bonnyville have been circulating displays with resources around the communities! As we're responding to changes and measures for COVID-19, we want to remind our community that the safety of women and children remain our top priority.... Our 24/7 Helpline and Shelter continues to remain open and operational. Our Helpline and Outreach services are free and confidential to all members of our community (men, and women) To reach us, please call: 780-594-3353 Answer: Find this display at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre!

Looking for a way to support mental health in our community and our Shelter? Imperial Oil Cold Lake is donating $5 to mental health organizations across Canada with EVERY download of Speedpass+ app from October 14-28!! Their app makes fueling up easier for you, and downloading is free!! What a wonderful initative to #FuelWhatMatters ! https://www.esso.ca/en-ca/speedpassplus

Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair visited us today to bring this wonderful donation of toys, stuffies, pajamas, robes, clothing, toiletries and other wonderful goodies and necessities that the families staying with will be able to use and enjoy!! This Toy and Wish List drive was such a thoughtful gesture from Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair - we are so grateful to be recipients of their generosity, and so touched to be part of such a giving community. They've also brought a cash donation to further support our programs! 2020 has brought challenges, but it's also brought out the best in people. Thank you for helping us, help others. As well, a special thank you to Red Apple Stores in Bonnyville for being one of the wonderful drop-off locations & your support!!

We are so excited by Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS)'s launch of the Leading Change Expansion Pack - a free subscription box full of resources and activities for men who want to end gender-based violence! We know that problems like domestic violence don't change on their own. The Leading Change Expansion Pack is a tool that addresses the root causes of violence and challenges each of us to lead from where we stand. Thank you to EPCOR Canada's Heart & Soul Fund, fo...r supporting this project, and helping make the box free for everyone who wants to Lead Change https://www.leadingchangepack.ca/ #wheretoturn #familyviolencepreventionmonth #empowerMENt

It feels like fall around here! A wonderful community member brought over the bounty from her garden this year which included a wonderful bunch of carrots...which was made here into carrot cake! It was thoroughly enjoyed by the families here, before we could sneak a picture! We are so grateful that through these last few months that have been hard for all, we're nestled in a community who continually thinks of families staying with us.

Our Shelter and Helpline are available 24/7 and can be reached at 780-594-3353. Women's shelters remain the safest place for women and their children experiencing domestic violence. Our Helpline can also offer safety planning, referrals, advocacy, support, and help find you resources in your community if you are not local to the Lakeland. ---... RCMP officers in Alberta's eastern district have responded to about 600 more domestic violence calls so far during the pandemic, compared to the same period last year. That area of Alberta has consistently had a higher rate of domestic violence compared to the rest of the province... "Sometimes, that can be for a variety of reasons. Things like isolation, if people are in rural and remote communities. We know they're not close to the hub where there are more services, even with the pandemic" "Threats of violence should never be ignored as they can be the precursor to deadly action....Often people take these threats as some kind of a joke; they're not - take it seriously."

*We would like to echo the editor's note in that the following article contains disturbing content, including spousal abuse, violence and suicide and may be overly graphic for some readers. It's never easy to read or hear about domestic violence. If you, or a loved one would like support, please contact our safe and confidential 24/7 Helpline at 780-594-3353

"They can lock me up for te [sic] rest of my life, but I will never take down the website," the post continues. "Authorities have been unable to remove the revenge website because it's operated through a server in a foreign country."

Our friends at Imperial Oil Cold Lake are making it easier than ever to download their Speedpass+ app by incentivizing each download with $5 donated to mental health initiatives across Canada, and partial proceeds being directed to our programs!! We are so thrilled to be part of this initiative. Speedpass+ is free of charge, and available through the app store. Support your local programs, Helplines and mental health organizations across Canada by downloading between October 14 to October 28, 2020 - a win-win to fuel up your car, and to #FuelWhatMatters !

It's official! We are now preparing for our EXCITING and beloved event: Festival of Peace in an Online location right here on Facebook! Join the event to participate November 26-28. We are now seeking and accepting donations from local businesses, artisans and vendors to showcase your wares at the brink of the holiday season! Thank you in advance for all of your support!

"Women’s rights are human rights. But rights are nothing without the power to claim them." https://www.theatlantic.com//hillary-clinton-wome/615463/

It's a Thankful Thursday indeed! The wonderful team at Stuart Olson Inc. here in Cold Lake ran a food drive and dropped off a big truck load this morning! It's filled with pantry staples and other wonderful items that will keep hearts warm, and bellies full. THANK YOU for this generous and thoughtful donation, Stuart Olson Team!

Indigenous women and girls are five times more likely to experience violence than any other population in Canada and this violence tends to result in more serious harm. Each October 4, a vigil is organized to honour the memory of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Family members, community members and concerned citizens gather to raise awareness and provide support to those who have lost a loved one. Members of our Outreach team will be attending the Vigil today... (Sunday, October 4) at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre at 7:00 pm. If you are able, please show your support. Learn more below: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/mandate/ https://www.nwac.ca/ https://guides.library.ubc.ca/mmiwg https://www.afn.ca/policy-sectors/mmiwg-end-violence/ As always, our 24/7 Helpline is available to anyone who needs information, support, crisis intervention, or to connect with an Outreach worker. 780-594-3353

If you've got kiddos doing online schooling this year, here is a great chance to get some professional school photos AND support the DMSCC! Message our team at Ella's Closet to book an appointment for your kiddo!

"Spousal abuse and family violence related calls have increased with Hinton RCMP responding to and investigating 137 incidents between April 1 and July 31." Need to talk? Our 24/7 safe and confidential Helpline is ready to take your call. Our Helpline offers safety planning, crisis intervention, information, referrals, advocacy, and more. If you are not local to our community, our Helpline can help find resources in your community. Helpline: 780-594-3353

It goes back to people judging things that they don’t understand or that they cannot relate to, that they’ve never seen before. Just because someone hasn’t seen it doesn’t mean it can’t exist in reality. Healthy relationships can look like a lot of different things, as long as both parties are fully consensual and respectful towards one another! Questioning the healthiness of your relationship? Give our 24/7 Helpline a call, or request to connect with one of our Outreach wo...rkers! Our services are open to all, free and confidential. 780-594-3353

Today is Orange Shirt Day. The orange shirt is symbolic because it was the colour of the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad received from her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned. The message that Phyllis wants to pass along on Orange Shirt Day and every day is that every child matters. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and fight racism and bullying. Learn more about today and how to honour Orange Shirt Day in the link!

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in Canada. It’s a serious public health problem with lasting, harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. Please know that you are not alone. If you, or a loved one is struggling, please contact your local mental health support line, or call our 24/7 confidential and safe Helpline to be connected with resources in your area.... DMSCC 24/7 Helpline: 780-594-3353 Resources: - https://suicideprevention.ca/ - https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca///suicide-prevention - https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findheal/Service.aspx

* Trigger Warning: the contents and language used in this article may be distressing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. If you, or a loved one would like to connect with an Outreach worker, please call 780-594-3353. Our 24/7 Helpline can be accessed by all members of our community at 780-594-3353 "In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are targeted for violence more than any other group. They are 12 times more likely to go missing or be killed."

"Let [Survivors] guide what they want from you. She also suggested sharing information about domestic violence programs in the area. Our 24/7 Helpline is free, confidential and can offer safety planning, crisis intervention, resources, advocacy, and more. If you are not local to our community, our Helpline can also help find resources local to you. Helpline: 780-594-3353

Our new normal is always feeling a little off balance, like trying to stand in a dinghy on rough seas, and not knowing when the storm will pass. Our 24/7 Helpline is always available to talk - they offer safe, confidential service which includes crisis intervention, support, offering referrals, advocacy, and more. They are also able to connect you with an Outreach worker! Both services are open and free to all community members - women, men, seniors. 780-594-3353... Times are tough, but so are we. #selfcaresaturdays

Hey Bonnyville! Headed to the Red Apple Stores today to do some grocery shopping? Be sure to stop by our display where Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair is hosting a toy and wishlist drive on our behalf!! At our display, you'll also find resources and Helpline cards - if you or a loved one needs support, please contact our 24/7 Helpline at 780-594-3353. They can provide confidential support, advocacy, referrals, connect you with an Outreach member and more.... We're in this together - times are tough, but so are we!

Hi Friends! Fall is fast approaching! Please take some time to go through those closets and donate your once loved pre-owned fashions to Ella's Closet and let them know you would like 100% of the proceeds to go to the Dr Margaret Savage Crisis Centre. Your generosity helps us, help others! #womenhelpingwomen #ellamargaret #shop4acause

Happy Friday! Pictured here are Sandra from Red Apple Stores and Stephanie from Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair - they're standing in the Red Apple, one of the collection points for the toy drive that Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair is hosting for us!! The drive will continue to the end of September.... They've posted our wishlist (items we use daily) as well. Thank you for thinking of the families!!

We are so THRILLED to announce that Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical Repair is hosting a toy drive & wishlist drive on our behalf! Did you know that our wishlist are items that we use daily? We go through these items the most, and with the challenges in fundraising we've faced in the last few months, this support from our generous and thoughtful community members really makes a difference. Donations can be dropped off at Jacknife Oilfield Services and Mechanical R...epair, or at the Red Apple Stores! Thank you for thinking of us!

Our days are always made brighter when we have wonderful community members like Simone and Linn drop off items they've thoughtfully collected for our shelter! Simone and Linn are long-time supporters of the DMSCC. Simone makes bags filled with wonderful homemade blankets and purchases clothing for the boys and girls that stay with us. These blankets and items help the families staying with us feel a little cozier, and we couldn't be more grateful!! Thank you Simone and Linn!

For full job posting and how to apply, visit our careers page! Grow with us at: www.dmscc.ca/career-opportunities/

Indigenous perpetrators, she says, have sometimes been protected by those in Indigenous communities out of a desire to protect the community and a fear of furthering the already present racism, shame and blame sustained by colonization. "I believe you," she said. "And I believe in you. You didn't deserve what happened to you. You are not alone and you can rise above this."... If you, or a loved one is in immediate danger, please call 911. Our 24/7 Helpline is safe, confidential, and can offer crisis intervention, support, advocacy, referrals, and connect you with an Outreach worker. Helpline: 780-594-3353

"Ballantyne said there are some different coping strategies they suggest to clients, from rubbing a calming scent like lavender on their mask to trying it on for a short period at home to become acclimatized to wearing it."

Sexual violence survivors deserve better. Violence is never okay. **warning: the language in this article might be triggering to some people. If you, or a loved one would like to speak to someone, or would like to know resources that could help, please contact our safe and confidential 24/7 Helpline.... 780-594-3353 Our Helpline can offer crisis intervention, support, advocacy, referrals, connect you with one of our Outreach workers, and more. If you are not local to the Lakeland, our team can help you find resources in your area too. You are not alone, and you deserve better.

He came up to her work again for the second time on Friday and said, ‘I know where your father is at right now, and if you don’t let me have my son I’m going to burn your house down and I’m going to burn your parents’ house down,’ Bowden said. Our 24/7 Helpline is here to provide advocacy, information, support, crisis intervention, and more. They can also help find resources in your community, connect you with one of our Outreach workers, and more. This service is FREE, CON...FIDENTIAL, and OPEN to ALL. 780-594-3353 https://www.thechronicleherald.ca//blm-protesters-say-po/

"There still is not enough attention and understanding of male violence against women and that means the whole system has to change," she said. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, please call 911. Our 24/7 Helpline is here to support you through crisis intervention, support, advocacy, connecting you with an Outreach worker, and more. ... 780-594-3353

"It's not just women in Winnipeg you know, it's women all over," she said. Please call our safe and confidential 24/7 Helpline if you would like information, crisis intervention support, advocacy, or to make an appointment with one of our Outreach workers. If you are not local to the Lakeland, our team can help find resources in your area. 780-594-3353

You probably know by now that Assumption School had to make the tough call to close their store, Thriftology. Since they are now without a direct fundraising ou...tlet, remember that we have a consignment account for ALL schools at Ella's Closet including Assumption School! We are now taking appointments for donation drop offs in AUGUST for Fall & Winter merchandise. If you would like to make an appointment so you can set a goal date to clean out your closets, we accept excellent quality used ladies clothing & accessories. 25% of the sale of your donations will be sent to Assumption School on your behalf and the remaining is donated to the Dr Margaret Savage Crisis Centre! Win!-Win! #bettertogether #100percentnonprofit #closetintocash4acause

Looking for a great way to feel good about supporting the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre while also clearing out your closet of great items that you no longer wear? Ella's Closet is currently seeking Ladies' Summer Clothing and Accessories.If you have ANY clothing, handbags or shoes in great condition, please click on THIS link to Ella's Closet and send a message to set up a donation appointment this week! 100% of Summer Merchandise Proceeds will support our initiatives. We greatly appreciated your generous support!

Happy Saturday! These are great (but tough) ways to give yourself some self-care. It might take some time to try these different types of self-care and that's okay! Would you like a little help or support with any of these? We have our Outreach team just for that - free, confidential, and available to all members of our community. To learn more, or to connect with someone over the weekend, please call our 24/7 Helpline at 780-594-3353

Almost 60 percent of shooting incidents with four or more casualties involved an aggressor with a history ofor in the act ofdomestic violence, the investigative report by Bloomberg.com asserted.

Have you done a safety check on your devices? A common tactic for control by perpetrators of violence is monitoring their victim's device without their consent. The Technology Safety and Privacy Toolkit is an online toolkit for Canadian women experiencing technology-facilitated violence to learn how they can increase their technology safety and privacy. If you would like to speak with a trained crisis intervention worker, or a community outreach worker, please call us at 780-594-3353.

A combination of our #SelfCareSaturday, and #StaffSpotlight! We want to give our team a BIG SHOUTOUT for their adaptability, positive attitude, and for adhering to all the of necessary precautions laid out by Alberta Health. It's with their commitment to keeping the shelter clean, safe, and welcoming that we can continue to help the community!!!

"What is needed is a preventative approach that allows for the dismantling of intersecting systems of oppression that leave women vulnerable. First, we must provide education on healthy relationships at an early age. Second, leaving an abusive partner, even during a pandemic, needs to be a real option, which means increasing affordable housing, shelter space, access to financial support and culturally relevant healthcare. Finally, prevention strategies should be focused both on potential victims and on potential abusers, reflecting a societal shift away from victim blaming."

"I believe that the best days of her life were still ahead of her," he said. "Because she was murdered, that life was taken from her, that future was wiped from possibility."

Gendes has been around since 2013 and is a leading light in a growing number of groups and organizations in Mexico that, through public education and personal support, work with men to stop violence against women.

This is a report published by UN Women on COVID-19 and its impact on violence against women and girls. "Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of women and girls aged 15 to 49 who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months. This figure rises to 30 per cent when considering violence by a partner experienced during women’s lifetime." If home is not a safe place for you right now, and you feel safe enough ...to do so, please call our 24/7 Helpline. This confidential service can help with with safety planning, information, referrals, and shelter services. Helpline: 780-594-3353

Happy Self-Care Saturday! Our communities and networks have been doing fantastic in checking in with their friends, their families, and their respective communities, because we're all in this together. We want to be sure that we're taking time for YOU to make sure you don't burn yourself out! ... Here are some great self-care tips for you to practice so that you can continue to show up for your community! Need a little help? Interested in connecting with an Outreach worker? Please call our Outreach line at 780-826-2656 to make an appointment. Please call our 24/7 Helpline for immediate service at 780-594-3353.

A lot of the calls were from people reaching out on behalf of others. "People saying, 'I know this neighbour who might be needing support, they're in a violent, abusive relationship ... what do I do for them?'" she said. If you are concerned about the well-being of someone in your community, and would like some information on resources to provide or how to help, please call our safe and confidential 24/7 Helpline at 780-594-3353. Our Helpline can offer safety planning, crisis intervention, information, referrals, and connect you with an Outreach worker.

"A long-time community advocate and successful business owner, Ms. Lakhani has dedicated her life to helping people in need and those who face obstacles to success in our society. Through her work to advance education, health care, women’s empowerment, human rights, and support for new immigrants, she continues to be a champion of diversity, pluralism, and inclusion." Empowered women empower women!