TORONTO — Board members of the ETA Vaughan (Empowerment Through Achievement) women’s shelter are trying to build on their past achievements.
Funds from its second annual gala, held May 14 at Liberty Grand and featuring a performance by Tony Bennett, are going toward expanding its emergency shelter for women and children, located in Vaughan.
Arlene Margolese, ETA Vaughan co-chair along with Sunder Singh and Marie Fiorellino-DiPoce, said the current shelter opened about six months ago. It operates as emergency housing for 10 to 12 people, as well as an outreach, therapy and counselling centre.
“It welcomes all religious and cultural groups, and provides vegetarian, halal and kosher foods when necessary. It is important that all groups feel welcome.”
Their next project is to expand the building to include at least 32 bedrooms plus a living area and a kosher kitchen, and a meditation room without religious artifacts so everyone can use it comfortably, Margolese said.
“While at the shelter, residents will be provided with counselling and vocational training so they can build their skills and employment opportunities. Transportation will be arranged for the children’s schooling and doctor appointments, and for the women to get to employment interviews.”
Margolese, manager of volunteer services and faith and cultural services at Reena, said the seeds for the shelter were planted when Michael Di Biase, former mayor of Vaughan, put together a task force to determine the need for a women’s shelter in that city.
“As members of the task force, we found that there was a need for a shelter that could protect women and children living in abusive situations. At that time, however, there was no money for the project, so the three of us began looking into how we could move forward.”
They lobbied the community, “and we were lucky enough to find a benefactor in John dePoce who leased us a parcel of land including a house that had good ‘bones’ but needed a lot of renovations to pass inspection. He spent about $220,000 of his own money on renovations and furnishings.”
The board feels so strongly about the project, she said, “because abuse is rampant, and shelters are full.”
For services, call ETA Vaughan at 877-ETA (1888), or to donate call 905-893-8830.
