For the 15th year, Global Edmonton’s annual “Give Me Shelter” campaign to help hundreds of women and children who are escaping domestic violence is underway.

Who benefits?

Each year, thousands of women and children seek safety at one of the Edmonton and area women’s shelters.

Many leave quickly, taking nothing more than the clothes on their backs in a desperate attempt to get away to someplace safe. That means come the holiday season, they are often without the things most people take for granted.

The “Give Me Shelter” campaign collects the essentials, as well as Christmas gifts, to go to five women’s shelters: Win House, WINGS, A Safe Place, LaSalle Residence and Lurana Shelter.

Donations pile up in the Global Edmonton lobby on December 11, 2015.

What to donate

The most needed items are:

• Gift cards
• Toiletries: deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, body wash, lotion, feminine products
• Unwrapped gifts: toys for all ages and genders, gift sets for women, new pajamas for kids

Where to drop off donations

Donations can be dropped off by Dec. 14 at Global Edmonton (5325 Allard Way NW, just off Calgary Trail and 51 Avenue) or at any Royal Pizza location below:

• Old Strathcona – 10433 – 80 Ave.
• Blue Quill – 290 Saddleback Road
• Mill Woods – 2609 – 66 St. NW
• West End – 9977 – 178 St.
• Ottewell – 6120 – 90 Ave.
• Newcastle Centre – 16721 – 127 St.
• Ellerslie – 1214 – 101 St. SW
• Sherwood Park Baseline – 590 Baseline Road
• Leduc – 7712 Sparrow Drive
• Sherwood Park Broadmoor Blvd – 800 Broadmoor Blvd
• Spruce Grove – 98 Longview Drive
• Hys Centre – 11010 – 101 St. NW
• Fort Saskatchewan – 37 Westpark Blvd
• Hamptons – 20024 Lessard Road

Last December, the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) said a funding increase from the province in 2015 was having an effect on the number of people receiving care and outreach services, but there was still more to done to help women and children fleeing family violence.

In 2015, the province announced it would boost funding to women’s shelters by $15 million. Data collected from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 shows that outreach services provided to women and children increased by 45 per cent, supporting an additional 6,147 women and children, according to the ACWS.

The figures from the ACWS show that the numbers of people turned away at shelters were down by 18 per cent, however, the ACWS said demand still outstrips supply when it comes to those escaping domestic violence. In fact, the ACWS said 22,274 women and children were turned away from emergency shelters from 2016 to 2017.

The Give Me Shelter campaign was started in 2004 by former Global Edmonton news anchor and current Vancouver CKNW radio host Lynda Steele.

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