WORKING WITH MICHAEL WEBB AND JULLY BLACK
Both Vanz and I were happy to partner with Michael Webb from the Michael Stuart Webb Realty team on the Jully Black event production in support of the Barrie Women and Children's Shelter on July 27th, 2018.
We were astonished at the statistics Kelly Letourneau was revealing regarding the number of families turned away due to lack of resources each year, right in our own backyard.

Recently Michael Webb presented the Shelter with a cheque for $5,000. We are very proud to call him a client but also a friend. He is an amazing, compassionate individual. The live event business grants us the opportunity to meet and work with such amazing people in our community, who like MTAV are passionate about making a difference and having a positive impact where we can.

If you are looking to help out in your own way, the Barrie Women and Children's Shelter is gearing up for their signature fundraising event coming up in September 15th at Heritage Park.

Kelly Letourneau writes:

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES
Barrie Shelter’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes hopes to raise $50,000 for local women and children

When Frank Baird created Walk a Mile in Her Shoes in 2001 no one knew that what started out as a small group of men daring to teeter around a park would grow to become a world-wide movement with tens of thousands of men raising millions of dollars for crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other violence education programs in local communities across Canada.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a symbolic gesture of men marching in women’s footwear to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women. The walk gives men the opportunity to publically take a stand on this important issue and demonstrate that violence against women and children is not just a woman’s issue; it affects everyone and they need the help of the entire community.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AFFECTS US ALL
Violence against women affects women from all segments of society. However, it is intensified by poverty, limited access to resources, lack of affordable housing or child-care options, language, and immigration challenges. ‘Violence against women affects us all’, says Kelly Letourneau, Development Manager for the shelter. Children can be traumatized by witnessing violence against their mothers or by experiencing direct violence themselves. Society is reduced when gender-based violence is tolerated and allowed to continue. We are all affected and we all have a responsibility to advocate for the elimination of violence against women and girls in our community.

Even though the shelter receives approximately 75% of their funding from the government, these funds don’t cover the costs of the services they offer such as group and individual counselling, family court support and transition/housing support. Every year, the shelter hopes to raise the remaining $350,000 needed from fundraising events like the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes campaign.

JOIN THE WALK
The Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie’s 9th annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will take place on September 15th at Heritage Park in Barrie. Families of all sizes are encouraged to come out show support and take a stand against violence against women. Don’t worry guys, the pumps aren’t mandatory…but if you talk the talk, let’s see if you can walk the walk. Register your team today! Their fundraising goal this year is $50,000.

For more information or to become an event sponsor email: Kelly Letourneau at kelly@barrieshelter.com