Canadian Women's Foundation

New Brunswick
Violence Prevention Grants

Making Waves/ Vague par Vague Inc., Fredericton (multi-year teen violence prevention grant)
2006-2009: $145,505 over three years
Making Waves is a province-wide initiative that educates teens about dating violence prevention. Twelve to 16 schools are invited to send four students to a Making Waves Weekend Retreat where participants engage in activities, workshops and facilitated group discussions about relationship violence. Topics include healthy relationships, recognizing abuse, media awareness, gender stereotypes, self-esteem, helping others, prevention of sexual assault and effective communication. Participating teens then work on an action plan and develop awareness-raising activities they can run with students back at their own schools.

Making Waves is one of four programs to receive a multi-year teen violence prevention grant from CWF. Each program uses a variety of delivery methods to determine the best approaches for preventing violence in teens’ lives. In year three, the grant recipients will participate in a cross-Canada learning event to share knowledge and best practices with other programs.

Centre de bénévolat de la Péninsule acadienne, Caraquet
2008: $23,250
This initiative uses “Influences”, a multi-media play (featuring students in grade nine to 12 as actors), as a tool for educating students in grades seven and eight about healthy relationships. The play examines people and themes that influence teens’ choices, and features local musicians and artists. Following a pilot performance in one high school, the organizers are ready to perform in several other schools in the province, reaching 500 young people in one year. Follow-up will include providing workshop material created by Making Waves (another grant recipient of CWF) and teacher training so that instructors can carry on this work after the play has been presented.

Sussex Vale Transition House, Sussex
2008: $28,000 (2006: $22,345)
CWF’s grant will fund a part-time outreach coordinator to support educational programs, group sessions, accompaniment to external service providers, long-term follow-up, and safety planning for up to 400 women in the shelter.

Multicultural Association of Fredericton (2007) $10,300
This program provides women who are new to Canada (and their families) with support and information on family violence and Canadian Law. Support groups are offered to all women in ESL (English as a Second Language) and FSL (French as a Second Language) classes. The program was initiated and designed by immigrant women who participated in past support groups. Sixty women and girls are expected to participate in the program.

Sussex Vale Transition House, Sussex: $22,345 (2006)
This grant will fund the hiring of an outreach worker to offer support and outreach services to women who do not reside at the transition house, (including former residents). The outreach worker will provide referrals and/or accompaniment to community agencies (e.g. counselling, court, police and social services), support for mothers, assistance in locating safe housing, and support groups.

Saint John Community Loan Fund, Saint John: $25,000 (2006)
This organization is building a multi-use complex that includes 10 units of affordable housing for single moms currently living in second stage housing. The initiative is focused on developing an enterprising environment that includes the Loan Fund, training facility, childcare centre and micro-business incubator. The CWF funding will be used to do pre-development work with the target women, many of whom will be future tenants. The Loan Fund plans to work with the potential tenants to identify needs, develop and evaluate intake tools, house rules, benchmark with the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, and develop monitoring and evaluation tools. A handbook will be developed which will be a reference tool for all tenants.

Making Waves (2005, teen violence prevention multi-year grant: 2006-2008)
Making Waves is a province-wide initiative that educates teens about dating violence prevention. Twelve to 16 schools are invited to send four students to a Making Waves Weekend Retreat where participants engage in activities, workshops and facilitated group discussions about relationship violence. Topics include healthy relationships, recognizing abuse, media awareness, gender stereotypes, self-esteem, helping others, prevention of sexual assault and effective communication. Participating teens then work on an action plan and develop awareness-raising activities they can run with students back at their own schools.

Second Stage Safe Haven, St. John: $20,000 (2005)
This project provides counselling and support services to current and former residents of a shelter or transition house, or women who do not wish go to one. Individual and group counselling includes violence prevention education, self-esteem building, conflict resolution, parenting skills, case management, referrals and advocacy. The funding will be used to hire a project coordinator who can provide individual and group counselling/outreach services to 75-100 women. .

Fredericton Sexual Assault Centre $25,000 (2004)
The Empowerment Project is a train-the-trainer tool kit for delivering self-protection and assertiveness workshops to women and girls who have experienced sexual violence. This project aims to develop a community counselling and support strategy, a mentorship program for women who will provide peer support and activities focusing on sexual violence, self-esteem, and self-worth. Participants receive both group support and one-on-one counselling. This project respond not only to the needs of victims, but to service providers and other community members who want to create a network of support, and develop a community strategy for sexual assault intervention and prevention.