[ yellow brick house G R AT I T U D E R E P O R T 2 0 14 – 2 0 15 [

“I need a safe place to go. For me and the kids.” A social worker could see the fear and panic in the eyes of the mother sitting across from her, and her heart sank knowing there was nothing she could say.

“You know I’ve been here to have some cuts and bruises taken care of. But I never thought I’d be here with a broken arm. Can you help me? Please?” A nurse hated that she could only treat the wounds and not the problem.

“It’s been even harder since he’s been out of work. He’s so angry at home. Like a thundercloud or a volcano about to explode. I don’t know what to do.” The woman began to sob, and all her case worker could do was pass her a box of tissues.

“What can I do to keep me and the kids safe?” The Probation Officer was seeing too much of this. Women who know their husbands are violent and dangerous, but who have nowhere to turn.

“Even if I can get the money and the courage to leave, where are we supposed to stay?” The man knew from years in social work that getting the money and courage to leave was almost impossible. And that finding a safe place to stay was totally impossible.

[Our story may have begunin whispers.

1,001women receive individual counselling

You helped[

[In late 1978 and early 1979, a group of concerned citizens started sharing their stories. At meetings and in the community they would murmur in agreement, “it’s so frustrating to see this over and over, we’ve got to be able to do more.”

And the idea of Yellow Brick House was born. Frustration turned to hope and determination. They met at each other’s kitchen tables, hungry for change and insisting on collaborative action. They found a house and opened their doors. A few short years later, just when they needed to find a new home, a small yellow brick house went up for sale in the community.

Dr. Crawford Rose was a family doctor in the 1950s and 60s. His clinic was attached to his home, a simple brick house. Neighbours knew they could knock on the clinic door—or the front door—to receive help and support. Seeing a police car in the driveway was not a cause for concern, but rather recognition that Dr. Rose was seeing any patient that needed him.

Years later, Dr. Rose’s son bought the family home and painted it yellow. He and his wife raised their children there. When they heard about Yellow Brick House’s need, they were delighted to sell their home to make sure their yellow brick house would continue to be a place of caring, hope and love.

From a murmur to a rallying cry.

Imagine being there in the 24 hours before we opened our doors to women and children in crisis. Passionate and dedicated friends and neighbours joined together to paint, clean and gather together furniture, appliances, books, toys, clothes and whatever they could to make this old yellow brick house a home.

And while you and I may not have been there in those 24 hours before the doors opened, we are here today, holding and nurturing those same values, and keeping that same spirit alive at Yellow Brick House.

We cherish the gifts of every single one of our amazing supporters, and we know that you share the same core values upon which we were founded and still operate to this day: values of equality, justice, safety, and compassion.

[From a murmur to a rallying cry.

24 hours before our doors opened...

[7,381 youth and community members have been empowered by our public education program

Todd, Volunteer“I have an intensely emotional 20+ year connection to the Yellow Brick House. It crushes me to think of the women and children who are terrorized in their homes — often by people whom they trust and love. As a father and a spouse, I cannot understand being violent or abusive toward those you love. For as long as there is a need, I’ll do whatever I can to help. I try using my training as a lawyer to help women craft ‘exit plans’, providing comfort and support as they navigate the complex legal system. Yellow Brick House is a place of great compassion, support and professionalism. I am proud and privileged to work along side other volunteers, staff and donors, where we all help create a safe haven for women and children suffering from domestic violence and other forms of abuse. I believe that every home should be a safe place. So long as there continues being violence against women and children, I will try being there for those who need me.”

Elizabeth, Donor“I am truly blessed to have great neighbours and live in this terrific community. York Region is a place where we take care of each other, help each other and work together to build the best possible future for our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. And my heart aches to think about women and children who witness abuse in their homes. It’s an ugly reality that over our fences and down our halls there are women and children in crisis. So I give what I can to Yellow Brick House because I know that they will use my donation to help women and children heal and get back on their feet after being knocked down. I may not be able to give as much as I would like, but I know my gift makes a difference and that every donation helps. Yellow Brick House also inspires me to talk to my friends and neighbours about how they can help, too. After all, this is very much in our own back yards.”

You can see how our shared values are in action every day, through our community of supporters. Here are some stories from just a few friends of Yellow Brick House. Sharing these stories with you is a way to acknowledge and celebrate everything that we’ve achieved together, because after all, it is our people—people like you—who continue to make our Yellow Brick House a place for healing and hope.

[Stories from today’sYellow Brick House.

Todd, Volunteer“I have an intensely emotional 20+ year connection to the Yellow Brick House. It crushes me to think of the women and children who are terrorized in their homes — often by people whom they trust and love. As a father and a spouse, I cannot understand being violent or abusive toward those you love. For as long as there is a need, I’ll do whatever I can to help. I try using my training as a lawyer to help women craft ‘exit plans’, providing comfort and support as they navigate the complex legal system. Yellow Brick House is a place of great compassion, support and professionalism. I am proud and privileged to work along side other volunteers, staff and donors, where we all help create a safe haven for women and children suffering from domestic violence and other forms of abuse. I believe that every home should be a safe place. So long as there continues being violence against women and children, I will try being there for those who need me.”

Elizabeth, Donor“I am truly blessed to have great neighbours and live in this terrific community. York Region is a place where we take care of each other, help each other and work together to build the best possible future for our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. And my heart aches to think about women and children who witness abuse in their homes. It’s an ugly reality that over our fences and down our halls there are women and children in crisis. So I give what I can to Yellow Brick House because I know that they will use my donation to help women and children heal and get back on their feet after being knocked down. I may not be able to give as much as I would like, but I know my gift makes a difference and that every donation helps. Yellow Brick House also inspires me to talk to my friends and neighbours about how they can help, too. After all, this is very much in our own back yards.”

You can see how our shared values are in action every day, through our community of supporters. Here are some stories from just a few friends of Yellow Brick House. Sharing these stories with you is a way to acknowledge and celebrate everything that we’ve achieved together, because after all, it is our people—people like you—who continue to make our Yellow Brick House a place for healing and hope.

[Stories from today’sYellow Brick House.

Lily, CounsellorA very wise 6-year-old once told me “I’m a kid… but I can do things!” This reminds me of the ways we can all make change, effect change, and demand change. As a counsellor at Yellow Brick House, I’ve been honoured to witness the inner resources and strengths children possess to get through difficult things. I am consistently blown away and inspired by the transformations I’ve seen when children’s strengths are acknowledged and built upon, when they are empowered to develop their thoughts, feelings, and voices, and when they come to understand their right to live without violence and the positive choices available to them. When trust is built, children share stories of deep hurt, helplessness, confusion, worry and fear. But in these stories, we learn of their immense strength, hope, knowledge and courage in coping and persevering. My job, as I see it, is to help strengthen a child’s understanding of this part of their experience as they work through what has happened: to build their sense of self; to give voice to their wonderful uniqueness and speaking out against hurtful acts and damaging messages; and to grow their sense of choice, strategies for safety, and capacity to break the cycle of violence.

Maya, ResidentFor the first time, I did not feel alone. I had the shelter workers to share every obstacle and triumph. They were there to listen to me and help me sort and prioritize, even late into the night when fear would overtake my sleep. Through their loving support and care, I was able to regain a sense of self-worth and empowerment. For me, the gratitude goes beyond the residency, to the volunteers and the strangers who support Yellow Brick House. I am happy and at peace with my life. When I look back to the day I fled and the heaviness of my heart thinking about my children’s future, I am in awe. I will never forget how I got where I am today.

67 women and 87 children participated in our Let’s Talk child witness program thanks to you [

9,436 volunteer hours made these accomplishments possible

1,925 caring individuals like you made kind and generous gifts to help

women and children in our community. Thank you!

273 residents completed our When Love Hurts program

Here’s what else YOUR support helped accomplish this year:

6,052 women & children served

AND

1,515 women used our legal support program[

156 children received specialized children’s counselling. 430 women accessed our transitional counselling services [

266 Women sheltered152 Children sheltered

124 Women could not get a shelter bed when needed

144 Children could not get a shelter bed when needed

3,379crisis calls answered[

Thank you for entrusting us with your gift. We promise you transparency and accountability in how we spend the gifts you share with the women and children in our care. We invite you to contact us anytime if you have questions about your gifts in action. Here’s how we raise and spend our funds.

RevenueProvincial 64%York Region 1%Non Gov Grants 8%Fundraising 25%Other 2%

Our 2014 Finances[ExpensesAdmin/Fundraising 9%Shelter 42%Transitional Housing 12%Outreach Services 31%Public Education 6%

Over the years, a number of exceptional donors have remembered the life-saving work of Yellow Brick House with a gift in their Will. If you would like information about leaving a legacy to the us, please call Pamela at 905-709-0900 for a confidential discussion. Gifts of any size will make a huge difference. You’ll help empower women and children, giving them the courage to change their lives for the better. Thank you!

Our Board of Directors are volunteers from here in our community who devote their time and energy to providing leadership to Yellow Brick House. We are proud of their amazing commitment to our cause. Thank you! Back row: Amanda Lee, Executive Director Lorris Herenda, Julie Cober, Karl Koehn, Dylan Marando Front row: Ralph Dunham, Chair Rehana Doobay, Mark Hart, Lauren Bonnett, Dr. Laurel Douglas Shugarman. Absent: Past Chair Norine Graham-Robinson

www.yellowbrickhouse.org

24 Hour Crisis Line: 1-800-263-3247 Administration: 905 709 0900

Twitter: @rebuildinglives Facebook: ybhrebuildinglives

Charitable registration number: 11910 5187 RR0001

Your donation, supporting Yellow Brick House, makes living violence free livesa possibility for thousands of women and children in York Region.

An agency of the Government of OntarioUn organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario