Months ago, seemingly in the blink of an eye, DIALOGers went from working in one of our five studios to working from home. Encouraging our teams to work from home was part of our effort to lower the spread of COVID-19 and keep us safe. But the reality is, home is not the safest place for everyone. 

This holiday season, we’ve selected four organizations that support women and families who may be affected by family violence, or who lack access to resources that enable secure, healthy environments, and independence.

Gender-based violence knows no social, economic or geographic bounds, and the pandemic has unfortunately heightened the danger. We’re proud to donate to these four organizations doing incredibly important work:

Atira Women’s Resource Society (Vancouver) 
Operating since 1983, serving Vancouver’s DTES, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, and White Rock.​ AWRS supports women and children affected by violence by offering safe and supportive housing, daycare, education, legal, outreach programs, and advocacy aimed at ending all forms of gendered violence, and supports women struggling with substance use and or mental and spiritual wellness. 
Learn more about AWRS here.

Casa de la Cultura (California)
A grassroots non-profit organization founded in 1989, focused on helping migrant agricultural families living in Las Lomas and Pajaro, California. They serve underrepresented minority areas where the majority of the population works in the agricultural fields, and especially those who have been subjected to COVID-19 and unhealthy smoke filled air, due to the recent fires.
Learn more about Casa de la Cultura here.

Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (Across Alberta)
ACWS is the provincial network organization of women’s shelters in Alberta. ACWS supports 40 members operating over 50 shelters across the province for women, children, and seniors facing domestic abuse. With support from ACWS, Alberta shelters are helping to provide safety, support families, and improve communities. Their mission is to end violence against women.
Learn more about ACWS here.

The Redwood (Toronto)
Established as a grass-roots community effort in 1993 to provide a safe haven for abused women and children in the Parkdale-High Park Community, and the GTA. In addition to the 37 bed shelter The Redwood provides crucial emotional, social and practical support that families need to get their lives back on track, including trades programs to help women to become financially independent. Since COVID, they have been operating at full and near full capacity, despite needs for social distancing measures. 
Learn more about The Redwood here.