User:Taejah33/The Shield of Athena Montréal

The Shield of Athena Montréal is the first social justice organization based in Montreal created by women of different ethnicities to support and serve immigrant women of different ethnicities who are exposed to or who are suffering from conjugal violence in the home. The organization offers a number of different services to women and children and their focus is to raise awareness and reduce the number of immigrant women exposed to domestic violence.

MISSION
1.	The mission of the Shield of Athena is to reach out to women and children who are affected by conjugal violence. They hope to raise public awareness regarding physical abuse, verbal abuse, economical abuse and many other various forms of abuse. Their main goal is to be an accommodating and welcoming environment for women of different ethnicities and language such as Arabic, Armenian, Creole, English, Farsi, French, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish (on call) and Urdu.These women are amongst the groups that are the most unlikely to seek assistance when in a time of need, too often because they are not accustomed to the rules and regulations of this country and because of the language barrier. The Shield of Athena is trying to gain recognition amongst these ethnic groups by taking a more public approach in their communities by hosting awareness campaigns and community outreach seminars. This charitable organization provides many different services including prevention, intervention and professional support for women and their children in hope of breaking the cycle of psychological abuse and raising awareness of alternative responses especially those in ethno cultural communities. They take a culturally sensitive approach to violence through awareness programs that call attention to domestic violence as unacceptable behaviour irrespective of ethnic, educational, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

HISTORY
The idea was birthed in a church basement in 1990 when one of the cofounders of the organization asked a Greek Orthodox priest for permission to speak about family violence following Mass. There was a pretty decent turnout and it sparked enough interest from a small group of women to form the Shield of Athena. The Shield was officially founded in 1991 by the Greek community of Montréal. Its aim was to provide support and public awareness within the Greek community; it was also a place where Greek women would be able to voice their feelings and opinions in their own language. By doing this in their own community they were able to recognize its impact and success. The organization came to the realization that was likely a similar need in other ethnic communities in Montreal. To that end, the Shield of Athena now offers a number of services that are now offered in 16 different languages and manage two offices, one in Montréal and the other in Laval as well as a shelter.

In 1997 the Shield in collaboration with the federal government to campaign against family violence. They created an ethnic media community outreach program and coproduced television and radio shows.

In 2002 the Shield produced an award-winning public service announcement "Violence hurts us all" that was broadcast in 14 different languages to raise awareness of conjugal violence in ethnic communities. Between 1997 and 2002 the Shield began to organize public awareness sessions in many different communities using local CLSC`s and other available locations.

In 2003 the Shield collaborated with the Montréal police to develop a series of audiovisual tools that would outline police procedures regarding conjugal violence. These tools also emphasized on the existing resources that were available to female victims.

In 2004 the Shield opened a shelter for women in immediate need to leave a violent domestic home. Stays in the shelter can last from one day to two months. Residents have access to a stable environment and culturally adapted intervention services.

In 2007 the Shield began a new program directed to support victims of sexual assault. Two multilingual help lines were created so that victims could speak to someone in times of distress without having to deal with the language barrier.

In September of 2009 the public awareness campaign on sexual violence was created and it was entitled "Do you have a secret". This campaign included a booklet that was published in 15 different languages and in Braille. It was also distributed in community newspapers, radio and television in 14 different languages.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS/ FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Athena’s Shield is a non profit organization that relies on fundraising events to support their various outreach programs including:

Annual Mail Campaign. This campaign generates funds from the public that go towards creating and maintaining existing services. It is also a large fundraiser for the shelter. The Annual Art auction is usually held in November. 2010 marks the 17th year of this event that attracts upwards of 400 guests and gives the organization the chance to raise awareness for their cause. Along with all the art in this event they also have a silent auction that features fine jewellery, leather, outerwear and restaurant certificates to some of Montréal's finest. This feature has become very popular and will be sure to attract more and more guests in the future. In last year's 16th annual Art auction the theme was children who had been exposed to violence. The work of 32 artists was on display as well as artwork of the children who had received service at the shelter. The auction raised nearly $100,000 and was a huge success

Athena’s Shield relies on the support of the Montreal Greek Orthodox Church and Spiritual leaders from the Muslim and Orthodox Jewish community. There are also several Montreal Corporations who support the organization through donation.

Legal Aid
All services are offered free of charge by trained social workers, caseworkers and educators. Services are offered in both the Montréal and Laval locations, the shelter and in certain cases the client's home. For women, they offer individual services that include confidential consultations, crisis intervention, counselling and referral services. The Quebec Family Law Manual is available to all and contains the basic guidelines regarding legal procedures. A legal clinic is available as a resource for women to educate themselves about their rights in the province of Québec. This is a free service offered by lawyers and law students who are dedicating a portion of their time to be able to give legal advice to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. The Barreau du Québec has also shown a great amount of support towards these programs.

Services for Women
The Shield also provides economic assistance for mothers struggling to support their children. They give food, clothing, toys and diapers depending on the need of the client. The Shield also provides a day care service for mothers who need to leave their children short-term to go run errands, get to an appointment or go to a job interview. The Shield also has regular support group meetings for victims of conjugal violence offered in English and in Greek. Support groups in other languages depend on demand. The organization also offers support groups for victims of sexual violence within a marriage and parenting groups to cater to those whose children have either witnessed or been a victims of abuse.

Services for children
Athena’s Shield also provides a number of services for children and teens. Support groups are open to children 6 to 12 years of age and teens 13 to 17 years of age. This service is by referral only. They also have many activities at the shelter including drama, art therapy and family sessions. These services allow children to express themselves creatively without the pressure of a one-on-one interview.

THE SHELTER: ATHENA`S HOUSE
The Athena house opened in 2004 and has since catered to women and their children who are victims of abuse. They provide emergency housing and provide a safe and positive environment. With professional help residents are able to replenish their strength and develop the necessary skills for survival. The shelter is a non-discriminatory environment where religious practices and diets are expected within reasonable accommodation. About 150 women and children use the shelter every year. After leaving the shelter, both women and children can receive follow-up visits if requested. While residing in the shelter victims can attend information sessions which provide them with resources that will help them in their future endeavours.

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Every year the Shield of Athena prepares an annual report of activities and services. This report includes information and statistics on their community outreach and public awareness programs, the report also focuses on the clients’ demographics. The Shield also releases an annual newsletter which is basically a general overview of what has gone on that year including any new services and upcoming events. As part of the campaign on sexual violence they also published booklets and cards in 15 different languages, in order to raise awareness about sexual violence. This booklet includes legal framework and necessary community resources. They also have a pamphlet which is titled "violence hurts us all". This pamphlet is designed to educate people about the effects that violence has on the victims and the children who witness violence. The Shield also provides many multilingual audiovisual tools and public service announcements in order to increase awareness. The Shield of Athena in association with the Service aux Collectivités UQÀM conducted a study that was prepared by Professor G. Berteau in collaboration with Maud Pontel. The study showed that immigrant women were especially vulnerable to conjugal violence. The study also showed that the Shield of Athena’s strategy for reaching these communities was quite effective and that they had quite a positive response to their awareness program.

A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION
The Shield has a very stable volunteer base of 196 volunteers who donated their time but they are always looking for enthusiastic new volunteers to join the group. The Shield also provides internships for students in the fields of social work, art history and marketing and have partnered with McGill University, Concordia University, Université de Montréal, Ahunsic and Dawson College.