Author: Brighid Langill

Homes for the Holidays

Stay Home with Us on December 17th, 2021!

Come experience the holiday transformation of three beautifully decorated homes virtually!

 

Why Are We Staying Home For The Holidays Again This Year? 

Each year we feature an event called, Homes for the Holidays. This event is an important part of our fundraising activities. Funds raised from Homes for the Holidays support the essential work YWCA Halifax does all year long; build economic security, promote wellness and create opportunities for women, girls and their families.

Given the ongoing realities of the pandemic, and the need to move our event experience online, we developed a virtual tour.

 

WHAT IS HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Each year Homes For The Holidays – A Holiday Home Tour, brings together local designers, community volunteers and retailers to decorate three beautiful homes graciously loaned to us by local homeowners for this annual fundraiser.

The decorated homes are opened to the public with the purchase of a ticket, giving tour participants some holiday inspiration for their own homes. Not only does this event spark the magic of the holidays it carries that spirit throughout the year as all funds raised go towards the programs and services supported by the YWCA Halifax.

WHEN ARE THE VIRTUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR?

VIRTUAL TOUR DATE: Friday, December 17th, 2021, 7 pm

TICKETS

$25.00 Tickets are available via Eventbrite

Prior to the event a password and link will be sent to all ticket holders.

We encourage you to grab some bubbly and appetizers, gather in small groups to enjoy this special production in support of YWCA Halifax.

We are putting together some fun entertaining options for you. Stay tuned.

YOUR 2021 DESIGNERS

COMING SOON 

VOLUNTEER

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING A VOLUNTEER POSITION FOR THE ANNUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES AT THIS TIME

Still, have questions? Contact us today at events@ywcahalifax.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2021 SPONSORS:

PRESENTING SPONSOR 

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2021 CONTRIBUTORS:

COMING SOON

Homes for the Holidays

Stay Home with Us on December 17th, 2021!

Come experience the holiday transformation of three beautifully decorated homes virtually!

 

Why Are We Staying Home For The Holidays Again This Year? 

Each year we feature an event called, Homes for the Holidays. This event is an important part of our fundraising activities. Funds raised from Homes for the Holidays support the essential work YWCA Halifax does all year long; build economic security, promote wellness and create opportunities for women, girls and their families.

Given the ongoing realities of the pandemic, and the need to move our event experience online, we developed a virtual tour.

 

WHAT IS HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Each year Homes For The Holidays – A Holiday Home Tour, brings together local designers, community volunteers and retailers to decorate three beautiful homes graciously loaned to us by local homeowners for this annual fundraiser.

The decorated homes are opened to the public with the purchase of a ticket, giving tour participants some holiday inspiration for their own homes. Not only does this event spark the magic of the holidays it carries that spirit throughout the year as all funds raised go towards the programs and services supported by the YWCA Halifax.

 

WHEN ARE THE VIRTUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR?

VIRTUAL TOUR DATE: Friday, December 17th, 2021, 7 pm

 

TICKETS

$25.00 Tickets are available via Eventbrite

Prior to the event a password and link will be sent to all ticket holders.

We encourage you to grab some bubbly and appetizers, gather in small groups to enjoy this special production in support of YWCA Halifax.

We are putting together some fun entertaining options for you. Stay tuned.

 

YOUR 2021 DESIGNERS

COMING SOON 

 

VOLUNTEER

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING A VOLUNTEER POSITION FOR THE ANNUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES AT THIS TIME

Still, have questions? Contact us today at events@ywcahalifax.com

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2021 SPONSORS:

PRESENTING SPONSOR 

 

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2021 CONTRIBUTORS:

COMING SOON

Sexualized Violence Support and Crisis Lines, curated by December 6 Fund

As Nova Scotia is in another lockdown, starting at 4 weeks, we at the December 6th Fund recognize that these conditions may increase the likelihood of domestic abuse and/or violence, sexualized violence, familial violence, and other kinds of harm within the household.

It is not your fault, and there are supports available.

The December 6th Fund is not available for immediate support in times of crisis, so we collected various resources and supports offered across the province. While these services may not be able to cover all your needs, it’s never too late to reach out for help in troubling and unsafe times!

For longer-term financial support options, you can check out our webpage listed below for details and email us at December6@YWCAHalifax.com to learn more about our zero-interest microloan program.

In case of an emergency, CALL 911- these numbers are for NON-EMERGENCIES only

Resource Navigation, Support & Crisis Lines:

  • Girls Action against Trafficking & Exploitation (GATE) Program with Elizabeth Fry
    • Available to provide support, just to talk, connect to resources. Serves ages 12-30.
    • Mon to Fri 9am to 1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sunday 12pm-1am
    • 1-833-625-GATE (4283)
    • Nova Scotia Transition & Advocacy for Youth (NSTAY) Program
      • Peer support, resource navigation, emergency housing/transportation for those exiting sexual exploitation. Serves ages 13-24.
      • 1-782-414-7657 (call/text)
    • Trafficking and Exploitation Services System (TESS) Partnership
      • A province-wide partnership of service providers committed to ending human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of youth.

`Hotlines to Report Human Trafficking and/or Commercial Sexual Exploitation:

  • Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
    • 1-833-900-1010 (24/7)
    • Available 24/7
    • Nova Scotia RCMP Human Trafficking Tip Line
      • 1-902-449-2425 (24/7)
      • Available 24/7

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) by Region:

  • Sydney and greater Cape Breton areas
    • 1-844-858-8036
    • Cumberland
      • 1-833-757-7263
    • Guysburough, Antigonish, Pictou and Richmond Counties
      • 1-877-880-7263
    • Halifax Regional Municipality
      • 1-902-425-0122
    • South Shore
      • 1-833-577-7263
    • Tri-County
      • 1-833-577-7263
    • Annapolis Valley
      • 1-833-577-7263

Sexual Assault and/or Sexual Health Centres by Region:

For more information on our December 6th Fund, please visit https://www.ywcahalifax.com/programs/violence-against-women/

Inspired by Her At Home

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

Inspired by Her is a signature YWCA Halifax event that serves as an opportunity for organizations to recognize exceptional women in the area of sport and recreation. YWCA Halifax Leadership, Equity, Activity & Diversity (LEAD) is proud to advance the participation of girls and women in sport, recreation, and physical activity, and empower them to take on leadership roles across these sectors.

We’ve transformed our traditional luncheon into an online event: Inspired by Her At Home.

Join us virtually as we listen to top women leading in sport and recreation share empowering stories that promote women and girls in physical activity, sport and recreation.

Tickets $25 each and includes an opportunity to win one of several exciting prizes.

Invite a youth plus-one free of charge
When youth see inspiring women who are leading the way in sports, these role models help them recognize their own potential in sport, recreation and physical activity. That’s why we highly encourage participants to invite a youth community member free of charge. Bring a child, mentee, or someone you coach to the event so that they, too, can be Inspired by Her.

About LEAD:

LEAD is proud to advance the participation of girls and women in sport, recreation, and physical activity, and empower them to take on leadership roles across these sectors.

About YWCA Halifax:

The YWCA Halifax is a progressive, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, young women, and their families through leadership, advocacy, and a range of services that promote personal growth, wellness, and community participation.

Thank You Sponsors


The Shine Collection

Purchase tickets here

Every year, thousands of Nova Scotians eagerly attend YWCA Halifax’s Homes for the Holidays. An opportunity to showcase beautiful local homes and designers, this event is for many an important part of their holiday traditions.

This year we’re launching Stay Homes for the Holidays, a re-imagined experience to be enjoyed online.

What’s more, the spirit of this event is now yours to enjoy in your own home with a curated, custom box of products designed to bring joy to each corner of your home.

The Shine Collection is the perfect gift. Unique, local products are brought together to create a package with a purpose; proceeds of this box support the essential work of YWCA Halifax. We are an organization that supports diverse women, girls, and community members to live free from violence, achieve housing dignity, receive quality early learning, and reach their goals of economic independence.

In alignment with this mission, each item in the Shine Collection was thoughtfully sourced from strong, female entrepreneurs. We are so thankful for their contributions:

  • Bailly Fragrance
  • Chic on Paper
  • Circle & Wick Candle Company
  • Doodle Lovely
  • Duckish
  • EVR Leather 
  • Lure Caramel Co.
  • Olivicana Soap
  • Shivani’s Kitchen
  • Square Love

As you enjoy these gifts, we hope that you’re reminded of the work of the YWCA and the thousands of diverse women, girls, and community members this box supports. The programs and advocacy of YWCA Halifax help diverse women, girls and community members shine every day, all year as we work together for a more just world.

Thank you for your support. It means more than you can imagine.

About YWCA Halifax:

The YWCA Halifax is a progressive, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, young women, and their families through leadership, advocacy, and a range of services that promote personal growth, wellness, and community participation.

About YWCA Employment Programs:

Economic security, empowerment, and the eradication of poverty are key intersecting themes that are necessary for women in our community to reach their full potential.

True equality, meaning economic empowerment, decision-making, and career choices are seen as a fundamental vision for women in our community in the coming decade. We’re making this vision come to life.

We move women from poverty to possibility to help them reach their full potential.

  • Each box is $150 and will be carefully delivered to homes within HRM during the week of December 1st. Mailing/delivery address required at the time of purchase.
  • Still, have questions? Contact us at events@ywcahalifax.com

Custom label created by Élana Camille Saimovici

www.elanacamillecreates.com

Request for Proposal

The YWCA Halifax is inviting proposals from qualified applicants to support and promote the inclusion of people who identify as transgender/gender non-comforming by reviewing and working together to develop our programs and policies. 

Request-for-Proposals-YWCA-Trans-Inclusion-FacilitatorDownload

A Statement From Our Executive Director

It’s been a week since the Nova Scotia shootings.  A week of grief, mourning, and remembering.   

In the days and weeks ahead, as we attempt to make sense of this attack, we also remember that there are many who are still mourning.   Each of the 22 victims had those who loved them dearly, and we keep their grief in focus as we engage in the difficult conversations that will follow.   

We at YWCA Halifax, along with many others, suspected this event may be rooted in violence against women.  We already know that the men in Toronto’s van murders and the Montreal Polytechnique shootings were both fueled by misogyny.  As details have emerged, our suspicions about the Nova Scotia shooter were confirmed.

Gender-based violence has a deep impact on everyone in our communities.  Women and trans people who are victims and survivors are most affected.  But men who are caught in the cross-hairs, parents who lose their sons and daughters, and children who lose their mothers, are also affected.  In a recent meeting with a high level civil servant with the federal government about the importance of women’s housing, he shared that he was intimately aware of this issue as he had watched his mother suffer at the hand of his father and that they had been uprooted and homeless as they fled for safety.

The rage against women that is realized in this type of staggering violence is enough to rock our province and our nation off our feet.  Our sense of security is uprooted.  The emergency alerts at the end of last week revealed just how wounded we have all become.

Many of the staff and volunteers at YWCA Halifax who walk alongside women and girls have also been unmoored.  We’re thankful for the team at Fire Inside for facilitating debrief sessions for our team.  For us, we are taking care of our people so that YWCA Halifax can continue to stand alongside victims of violence and their families, just as we have for almost 145 years.  And we will also continue to work with boys on cyberviolence, with employers on workplace culture, and to be a strong voice on this issue.

We invite all Nova Scotians to join us, and the many agencies, activists, journalists and citizens who tirelessly advocate for the structural and cultural changes required to eliminate gender-based violence.  There are many resources in our communities.  If you don’t know where to begin, call us.  We continue to serve during the pandemic. 

In solidarity,

Miia Suokonautio and the YWCA Halifax team

NS-BAP

Before and After School Program

High quality and affordable before and after school program offered at Rockingstone Heights School. Provided by the YWCA Halifax Early Learning Centre.

Beginning: January 2020

Hours: 7:30 am to 8:30 am & 2:50 pm to 5:30 pm

Contact: Kerri Johnson, Director of Early Learning & Childcare

902-423-6162 x 5211 or k.johnson@ywcahalifax.com

Annual General Meeting

NOTICE OF YWCA HALIFAX 2020 (held in 2021) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Time: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

All members of the public at are invited to join our Annual General Meeting. Voting reserved for YWCA members only.

Please RSVP by June 18 HERE and a ZOOM link and meeting materials will follow. On registration, please indicate if you would also like to become a YWCA member for $40/year and our team will follow up with you.

If you have any questions, please email b.langill@ywcahalifax.com or call /text 902-402-1545.

Notice of Slate

Homes for the Holidays

Stay Home with Us on December 4, 2020!

Come experience the holiday transformation of three beautifully decorated homes virtually!

 

Why Are We Staying Home For The Holidays This Year? 

Each year we feature an event called, Homes for the Holidays. This event is an important part of our fundraising activities. Funds raised from Homes for the Holidays support the essential work YWCA Halifax does all year long; build economic security, promote wellness and create opportunities for women, girls and their families.

Given the current realities of the pandemic, and the need to move our event experience online, we have developed a virtual tour as well as an exclusive curated, custom box that feature products from businesses owned by local female entrepreneurs. There will be a limited supply of the curated boxes available as an additional way for us to secure the funds needed to execute our programs and services all year long.

 

WHAT IS HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Each year Homes For The Holidays – A Holiday Home Tour, brings together local designers, community volunteers and retailers to decorate three beautiful homes graciously loaned to us by local homeowners for this annual fundraiser.

The decorated homes are opened to the public with the purchase of a ticket, giving tour participants some holiday inspiration for their own homes. Not only does this event spark the magic of the holidays it carries that spirit throughout the year as all funds raised go towards the programs and services supported by the YWCA Halifax.

 

WHEN IS THE VIRTUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR?

VIRTUAL TOUR DATE: Friday, December 4, 2020, 7 pm

 

TICKETS

$25 Available HERE 

Prior to the event a password and link will be sent to all ticket holders.

We encourage you to grab some bubbly and appetizers, gather in small groups to enjoy this special production in support of YWCA Halifax.

We are putting together some fun entertainment options for you. We have partnered with Chey Cuterie to design a featured board for the event. Until December 4th, Chey Cuterie will be donating 10% of the sales of their Hot Chocolate Boards to YWCA Halifax. Order yours in time for the show here!  

YOUR 2020 DESIGNERS

 

Golden Dog Design & Blossom Shops 

Stil James

Sky’s the Limit Events

 

VOLUNTEER

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING A VOLUNTEER POSITION FOR THE ANNUAL HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR.

We require many volunteers to make this event a success. The following positions are available:

  • Packaging Volunteers
  • Delivery Volunteers

Each volunteer gets a FREE ticket to our virtual tours!

Sign-up: coming soon. 

Still, have questions? Contact us today at events@ywcahalifax.com

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2020 DESIGNERS

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2020 SPONSORS:

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2020 CONTRIBUTORS: