The provincial government has launched a call for proposals for new community-based projects that help support survivors of gender-based violence.
Over the next three years, the province has earmarked $100 million for a cross-government action plan to address gender-based violence.
The government is looking for initiatives focused on preventing violence through education and awareness, building safer, healthier communities, and enhancing well-being and economic opportunities for people and families.
In particular, the province will be investing in projects that respond to the needs of local communities in four key areas:
- education and awareness
- early intervention and prevention
- community planning and service integration
- economic security and financial independence
Executive members of the Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee Windsor-Essex (VAWCCWE), including Hiatus House, Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, Windsor Police Service Victim Assistance Unit and Legal Assistance of Windsor, have invited community partners to work together in a coordinated effort to bring much needed resources into the region.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides, Hiatus House executive director Sylvie Guenther believes it's a great step to open up proposals and also covering from one end of the spectrum to the other through education.
Guenther says it's been a long time since funding has come into the sector and they're looking forward to being able to help more women and men dealing with violence.
"You know really a broad range of projects they're looking for. When we saw the announcement we thought it was really important to bring together our partners and have a conversation about how can we best address the gaps that we have in our community," she said.
She says working with other local agencies and organizations to try and secure funding will help them come up with something that is more efficient and costs the system less.
"Where we can do more and the strengths really exists in us working together with our partners and with our community. Leaning on some expertise and services that we don't provide and offering up our own expertise in this area of gender based violence to other organizations."
Guenther says they're very excited and hopeful they'll be able to come up with an effective strategy.
"That will work and I expect that we'll be submitting different applications, but that we coordinate them. So that when we do submit them the government looks to it and says 'yeah, there's a fulsome approach to how they want to address these issues'," she said.
The call for proposals will remain open until October 11.
The VAWCCWE is hosting an engagement session on Thursday, August 29 to establish project partners and start to develop the parameters of the application.
- with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides