Event to raise funds for programs at local women’s shelter
Sanctuary House, a non-profit organization in Woodstock dedicated to assisting victims of abuse, is hosting a “Casino for Care” event at the Western Valley Multiplex in Centreville on Nov. 1.
Doors will open at 6:30, followed by a cocktail hour, and the high-rolling fun will begin at 7:30. The evening will feature live music provided by Amy Anderson and Nick Lawson, a wine bar, finger foods, and 17 gaming tables. There will also be additional opportunities to win prizes, including 50/50 draws, a balloon pop, and a silent and live auction. Thousands of dollars in prizes are available, including cash and vendor prizes such as eBikes, Crabbe Mountain certificates, hotel stays, spa packages, and more.
Sanctuary House has been serving the Grand Falls to Nackawic region for over 30 years, having first opened in 1991. Today, their mission has expanded to include multiple avenues of helping victims of all forms of abuse, including human trafficking victims. The original Sanctuary House remains their largest operation, which boasts a 10-bed shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking, as well as female victims of elder abuse. Guests are provided with a bed, food, a playroom, and a secure outdoor play area for children.
Beyond providing food and shelter, Executive Director Sloane Rees said the organization offers a range of additional services for victims of abuse.
“We’ve expanded our services over the last five to six months and updated our model because we know we can’t help everyone all the time. So, we’re trying to do more preventative work so we can still help people, even if we can’t give them a bed,” she told the River Valley Sun.
Rees said these services include transportation, counselling, safety planning, an in-resident child and youth worker, and access to a peer support navigator who can assist with accessing social development and mental health services, skill-building, and helping women find new housing.
They also have an outreach worker who helps those transitioning to a new home and who can provide court accompaniment if the victim needs support. Sanctuary House assists an average of 12 women and seven children each month. Included in those, the shelter is now seeing an average of two trafficking victims a month, a number that is continuing to increase.
Valley of Courage is another program offered by Sanctuary House, which opened three years ago, and is designed specifically to assist sexual assault survivors. Rees explained that they developed a separate resource for sexual assault victims since the Sanctuary House is strictly for women and children, and “sexual assault touches all genders.”
Similar to the Sanctuary House, all services are provided free of charge and include counselling, education and awareness, and support groups.
Rees shared that the money raised from the casino night will be going directly to the “care fund” at the Sanctuary House.
“When women and children come to us, they come with nothing,” said Rees. “We pay for their medication. We pay for their transportation. If they have to relocate and go into hiding, we pay for their plane tickets and relocation costs. We pay for all their food – and we receive no funding for any of it.”
There are two types of tickets available for the upcoming event. Individual tickets cost $100 and include 1,000 casino chips and two wine tickets. Group tickets cost $ 1,500 for a group of seven people and include free access to the wine bar for the evening, as well as 5,000 casino chips, a swag bag, and a raffle ticket for each person.
Tickets can be purchased online at the Sanctuary House Facebook page or by emailing Sanctuary House at sanctuary@nb.aibn.com
Sanctuary House would like to thank its special sponsors, including Greg MacPherson, RBC Woodstock, and Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club, who have helped make this event possible.
