GREATER VICTORIA WOMEN'S SHELTER SOCIETY

The Greater Victoria Women’s Shelter Society (GVWSS) was incorporated in May 1986 to provide shelter and support to women, and their children, with special housing and crisis needs. We provide counseling, advocacy and other support services. Our goal is to help women feel strong enough in themselves that they do not return to their abusive relationships or begin another.

As Margaret Laurence House is a small non-profit, we rely on community members such as yourselves to fill in our financial gaps to help to ensure that our families have what they need. Financial support to Margaret Laurence House helps us to continue to provide our programming along with our affordable housing for families. Here are some things that your funding helps us to provide:

- Rent subsidies
- Grants for food to families
- Bus tickets for women to attend appointments and for their children to attend school
- Birthday and Christmas gifts
- Access to computer and internet for resident use
- Lending library of educational books and dvd’s for resident use
- Activities that help our MLH residents connect with the larger community, something that is of particular importance in the often isolating reality of single parenting
- Speakers to come and present to the women on topics that they identify as important for them. In the recent past we have had speakers speak on Non-violent Communication, Budgeting, Internet Safety and Sexual Health