Shelter

The shelter accommodates up to eighteen women and children and is staffed 24 hours a day. The shelter offers temporary residence, children's services, supportive counselling, referrals, and information. Assistance in locating housing and other community resources is offered during the transition to living independently.

Crisis Line

Operated by shelter staff, the confidential crisis line is available 24 hours a day, each day of the year. The line can be reached by dialing 613-354-1010, or 1-800-667-1010.

Communal Living

The agency manages a large apartment with six bedrooms and a communal living space for single women. Rent is commensurate with rates offered by Ontario Works.

Emergency Accommodation

As a 24/7 crisis service LAIH administers the Homeless Initiative Fund for Ontario Works. This fund is intended to provide emergency motel accommodation or transportation to homeless services for men and women in need of emergency housing. All referrals to this program must come through a service provider and during business hours. The program is administered by the local Ontario Works office.

Children's Services

Trauma Growing up in an abusive home is a terrifying and traumatic experience that can affect every aspect of a child's life, growth and development.

Abuse can make children less likely to succeed in school, more likely to suffer and commit violence, and more likely to face a host of health problems that can last throughout their lives. A recent study found that school age children who witness abuse exhibit a range of problem behaviours including depression, anxiety, and violence towards peers.

Multiple Types of Abuse

While domestic abuse is often thought of as physical, there are many forms of it to be considered. Children who witness the emotional or verbal abuse of their mothers, as well those who see domestic assault, are equally affected in devastating ways.

If the perpetrator uses a child to spy on or "tattle" on the mother, or relies on the child to be a messenger, the child suffers the emotional trauma of being caught between two loved ones.

Struggles Faced

Some of the struggles faced may include: loss of a safe haven - home is no longer a warm place to be, a misplaced sense of responsibility for the abuse, a disconnection from their emotions; when abuse is tolerated, denied or minimized, children will begin to question their feelings. How can there be any reason to feel upset, angry or scared if nothing really happened? Being forced to become a "Secret Keeper". Both within the family and outside, the child is not free to discuss what he/she has witnessed.

Goals of Intervention

Intervention groups attempt to break isolation of abuse by providing an opportunity for children to interact with others of similar age and experience.Children learn techniques to cope with the abuse they have witnessed and to handle the break-up of the family unit.

On a personal level children learn positive conflict resolution techniques and anger management skills.Safety skills are taught, in a effort to give children back a sense of control over their environment. Children work to develop personal safety plans.

The Lennox and Addington Interval House Child Witness Program

The following outlines the program which targets children between 3 and 16 years of age, grouping children in age spans not greater than two to three years. The perpetrator of the abuse must no longer reside in the home.

Group intervention may not be appropriate for children who exhibit symptoms of severe trauma. Children in this situation have more complex needs and are probably better served by individual treatment.

Accordingly this program also provides individual work with children whose lives have been impacted by woman abuse either as they await group or if they would be better served by this type of intervention.

Program Sessions

Lennox and Addington Interval House Child Witness program sessions run 10 weeks and are offered in schools or in the community through the evening sessions. each session is approximately one hour in length. Concurrent mothers/caregiver groups are available with sufficient interest. Referrals can be made by parents, teachers, CAS or mental health agencies. Referral forms are found on under our FORMS tab.

Second Stage Living

Bridge-It and the Communal Living Centers provide longer term housing options for women with and without children who are fleeing abusive situations. Women live either in independent apartments or in a shared communal environment while they make their transition out of their abusive situation. There are no fees associated with the services provided by Lennox and Addington Interval House's Community Outreach Program. Rents in the Second Stage Housing program are geared to income.

Transitional Outreach

Assessment, referral and support if offered to women seeking the services of the agency to develop a service plan of obtainable goals for clients. This program also offers one to one counselling to women who are or who have been in an unhealthy relationship. Support and education groups to assist women who have been the victims of domestic violence. Referrals to outside agencies. Individual counselling and group programs are offered in South Lennox and Addington County. The agency provides service in Amherstview and Deseronto, in addition to coverage throughout the week in Napanee.

Volunteer Opportunities

What are some of the volunteer opportunities available?

At LAIH, volunteers and students participate in a variety of ways:

• The agency is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, annually elected at the Annual General Meeting.
• LAIH depends on a contingent of Shift Support volunteers, who volunteer time on a regular basis and work in the shelter, along side agency staff. Volunteers assist residents in the shelter with a variety of needs and assist staff in maintaining the operational needs of the agency.
• Volunteers also assist with driving women to appointments and other necessary locations.
• Volunteers assist with grocery shopping
• Volunteers to foster our women’s pets while they are in shelter
• Volunteers to assist with maintenance tasks ranging from gardening to paint and repair work at our various sites throughout the community
• From time to time, volunteers assist with special events and projects undertaken by the agency. Examples include fundraising events, research and community development projects.
• Finally, the shelter accepts volunteer labour from local companies and social service organizations for specific and time limited projects such as property maintenance.
  
  

What does LAIH expect of me as a volunteer/placement student?

• Volunteers and placements must support the aims and beliefs of the agency
• Volunteers and placements must adhere to house rules, procedures and policies. Training covers essential and routine information. However, the agency maintains an up to date Policy Manual and Procedures Manual that are available at the shelter. Volunteers and placements are encouraged to read both manuals and consult them throughout the tenure with the agency.
• Volunteers and placements do not do or replace the work of paid staff members. Instead, their work enhances the services offered and managed by staff.
  
  

Can males volunteer at LAIH?

Volunteerism by men who support the agency's mandate and wish to contribute to ending violence against women is encouraged by the agency in the following capacity:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Property enhancements, projects and maintenance
• Fundraising and community events
• Educational events or research projects
• Pet Foster Parents

LAIH limits the contribution of male volunteers and placements to activities outside of direct service contact with clients and that require only limited physical presence inside the living space of shelter or second stage facilities.

For more information or to begin the process to volunteer please call 613-354-0808.

Client Necessity Donations

Client Necessity Donations

Lennox and Addington Interval House accepts gently used donations for a woman (and her children) to move out into the community on her own. Here are some ideas of the items we accept:

• Clothing
• Towels
• Hygiene Items (full and travel sized)
• Grocery Store or Gas Station Gift Cards
• Diapers
• Cleaning Supplies
• Groceries
• Dish Sets
• Silverware
• Small appliances (toasters, kettles)
• Shoes, slippers
• Furniture (couches, beds, dressers)
• Photo frames, wall hangings
• Linens (bedding, towels, face cloths)
• Dish cloths, dish towels
• Glasses, mugs

We do NOT accept used underwear or stuffed animals due to hygiene.
We also cannot accept car seats of any kind or cribs that do not meet current safety standards.**