Harmony House women’s shelter in urgent need of donations

Harmony House, an Ottawa charity that supports women fleeing abuse, is calling for donations. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

An Ottawa non-profit organization is putting out the call for donations as the costs and need for their services increase.

Harmony House is an organization that supports women fleeing domestic situations and supplies them with transitional housing after leaving crisis emergency shelters.

Executive director Marilyn Matheson says after three families recently moved out of the supportive housing units into their own homes, three new families are set to move in.

Families are given a welcome basket that comes with all new household essentials and personal care items.

“It provides more dignity to the family as they come in and when we know the age of the children, we also provide small toys,” Matheson said.

“Everything is getting more expensive and we couldn’t do it without our donors.”

Francesca Davila, the organization’s development and communications director, says it’s about providing people with all the essentials so they can start on the right foot, but it all comes with a price tag.

“It cost us for up to $4,000 just to get this, the production behind the scenes,” Davila said.

Services like therapy and child care are provided on an ongoing basis while the families live there – sometimes for years.

Harmony House has 16 units but have more than 80 families on its waitlist, Matheson says.

“The number has gotten higher since the pandemic because women were staying with their abuser. They couldn’t leave. So now it’s going up, but it speaks to the need of more second stage housing in the city,” Matheson said.

More than 60 per cent of the organization’s funding comes from donations. Matheson says donations will be able to fill bins like the ones she’s building now for the next recipient.

“Our goal is to make them feel welcome and this is their home,” she said.

Donations can be made on the organization’s website.

Some of the items the organization needs most include household items, kitchen supplies, personal care items, children and baby needs and spring/outdoor essentials for women and children.