Nova Vita launches More Than A Bed campaign

Nova Vita has started a new fundraising campaign in support of its second-stage housing program.

More Than A Bed was launched as part of the Nova Vita’s International Women’s Day celebration on Wednesday.

“A lot of people maybe don’t realize that we have eight self-contained apartments on our property,” Anne Ruddell, Nova Vita’s community development manager, said. “They’re called second-stage housing and they are connected to our transitional housing and support program.

“Quite often, women and families looking to leave the shelter will not be able to find affordable housing.”

When that happens, they can, if space is available, stay in Nova Vita’s second-stage housing units, Ruddell said.

“The units have increased security, compared to what would be available elsewhere,” Ruddell said. “They have kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms and they still have access to their transitional support workers and programs.”

Those programs could include one-on-one support for moms, a group program, support for children and the court-support program. Programs to help women navigate the various systems in place to provide support or services are also available.

“For example, if one of our clients needs to apply for a birth certificate for a child, help is available,” Ruddell said.

When the family is able to move out of the apartments, the furniture stays but many of the other amenities like plates, cutlery and towels will go with them to help them get started, she said.

“These apartments are incredibly important and they’re in constant demand,” Ruddell said.

They give clients a safe, furnished, affordable apartment that they can use until they’re able to access affordable housing in the community, she said.

“This program is so critical because that transitioning into a life free of violence is so challenging in today’s economy,” Ruddell said. “By doing it here, having access to those apartments, it helps move the women and children we serve one step closer to living independently.”

The eight apartments are in two buildings including a six-unit building at the rear of Nova Vita’s property. The buildings opened in 2005 and 2007 and are in desperate need of repair and upgrades.

Meanwhile, Nova Vita celebrated International Women’s Day with a sold-out event at the Brantford Golf and Country Club featuring guest speaker Brandi Leifso, who at the age of 21 was living in a domestic violence shelter when she founded Evio Beauty Group.

An advocate for domestic violence reform and economic justice, Leifso was one of Chatelaine Magazine’s women of the year in 2018. Her appearance in Brantford was presented by Vanessa Hammond The Mortgage Broker and Erin McIntyre Real Estate.

Nova Vita hoped to raise $40,000 through the event and $15,000 of the money raised will go towards the repair of the agency’s second stage apartments.

“This is just a start, to help breathe ‘new life’ into these highly-demanded units,” Ruddell said. “Life happens at Nova Vita.

“We are not immune to household wear and tear such as a misplaced toy clogging a toilet and flooding lower units and our team needs to be equipped and ready to support rising demands and emergencies.”

To donate to the More Than A Bed campaign visit www.novavita.org/donate . In addition to fundraising, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the work done by Nova Vita, Ruddell said.

Nova Vita operates a 33-bed emergency shelter with 18 bedrooms and is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week to provide safe haven, meals, support, case management and referrals to other community resources.

To learn more about NovaVita visit www.novavita.org/ and on social media at @NovaVitaBrant.

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