Northumberland Services for Women expanding

It is great to hear Northumberland Services for Women is launching a campaign to raise $955,000 to expand its facility in Cobourg yesterday.

It is good because there is a huge demand for the 14-bed home on Swayne Street. More than 500 women were served last year as they fled abusive situations. Of those, 80 women and children were able to have a safe place to stay at the home. Another 80 were turned away.

This expansion will serve several needs in the community. Besides beds for emergencies, there will also be some second-stage housing, meaning a temporary type of housing that allows women to re-integrate back into the community, while having stable housing. This is something many people don't realize is the difficulty for women to find affordable housing, particularly those who have been abused. It also allows them to receive ongoing counselling and support.

Sadly, this also points out the demand for such services. It is a sad commentary about our community that such a place is even needed. That is not a slight against Northumberland Services for Women. No, it is a comment about our community. When abuse is tolerated and women live in fear, then we are failing them.

With the new cairn in Victoria Park, we are always reminded of violence against women. It is good to see this bold initiative to expand. Let's hope the community gets behind it.