The good news Airdrie has been waiting for and it's almost here.

A refuge for victims of domestic abuse has been one of Airdrie's top demands for a long time. Thanks to the unwaveringly hard work and efforts of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R, a non-profit organization, a women's day shelter is coming to Airdrie in the near future. 

Crystal Boys, Founder of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R., says doors will be opening in just three months.

"If all goes well with permitting and renos, we are looking to open April 1st," says Boys excitedly.

It has been an uphill journey to making the shelter a reality and Boys says they could not have done it without the help of local Airdrie residents and their generosity.

"The board and myself have worked very hard over the last two years and we actually have something tangible to present to the people of Airdrie. They've been our biggest supporters, the community, so I can't wait to tell them that their support and encouragement throughout this whole time has produced this amazing day shelter."

To date, Airdrie has been without a shelter of any kind and locals in need of refuge have been referred to shelters in Calgary and surrounding areas. Many shelters in Calgary are already nearing full capacity, so a shelter coming to the exponentially growing city of Airdrie could not have better timing.

"The day shelter will be the first of it's kind in all of North America actually, so we're quite excited to roll that out and it gives us an opportunity to help out everyone who doesn't access a shelter," Boys explain.

Statistics show only about 5% of women who suffer from domestic violence actually utilize an emergency shelter. That leaves 95% of women trying to navigate their way to a safe enviroment on their own. Boys says the new day shelter will help reach those 95% who need the help.

The day shelter will serve women and children who are trying to escape domestic violence and will act as a resource to help them get back on their feet. It will not provide an overnight stay, however this is something that Airdrie P.O.W.E.R. is hoping to one day possibly implement in the community.

Boys says their new location is easily accessible but will not be publicized due to safety reasons.

"It's right in the heart of Airdrie, it's on a bus route, it's very accessible in many different ways. To be connected to support from the shelter, victims can access the shelter's website, their Facebook page. Resources like Community Links, Airdrie & District Victims Assistance (ADVAS), and the RCMP will be aware of us as well and will be referring people to our location so there's a few different ways that they can get a hold of us."

Getting connected to the shelter will be easier once they are open and once their own hotline is active.

 

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