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Sandycove ladies answer the call to support Barrie shelter

'We are now essentially maintaining two shelters in Barrie, with funding to only partially support the one we have,' says grateful shelter official
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Ladies at Sandycove Acres retirement community in Innisfil found a way to support the Barrie Women's shelter, despite COVID-19. Miriam King/Innisfil Today

Back during non-COVID times, there used to be a monthly Ladies Luncheon at Sandycove Acres retirement community, located off Line 11 in Innisfil.

About 150 ladies would attend each luncheon, raising funds for charities that included the Women & Children’s Shelter in Barrie.

Then the pandemic hit.

It was a double-whammy: not only could the ladies not gather for their fundraising lunches, the shelter needed more support than ever before, as the pressures of self-isolation and job losses contributed to a spike in domestic violence.

One Sandycove resident – who wants to remain anonymous – came up with a solution. 

She issued a challenge on a private Sandycove Facebook page, asking 100 people to donate $10 each, to raise $1,000 for the shelter from the women of Sandycove. Donors were asked to drop their contributions into an envelope taped to her door, and every day she provided an update on the tally.

By the end of the campaign, the “Sandycove Residents Who Care” had raised a remarkable $3,415 for the Barrie Women & Children’s Shelter.

A letter of thanks from the shelter explained the growing need: ‘In these times of uncertainty with stress levels at a maximum and situations of women and children being isolated with their abuser, we are seeing an increase in the intensity of the calls to our crisis line and need for our services.”

With physical distancing, the 27-bed shelter is now at capacity, and has had to support women in other areas of the community.

“We are now essentially maintaining two shelters in Barrie, with funding to only partially support the one we have,” wrote Kelly Letourneau, Development Manager – even while most fundraising events and activities have been cancelled due to novel coronavirus.

Letourneau told the Sandycovers, “We have only been able to continue our support and services with the kindness and extreme generosity from the community and community-minded people like yourselves.”


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Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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