The Armagh House Expansion Project 

For women facing abuse, there are very few places to go, especially when these women also have children. Armagh House is the only second stage shelter in the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel which women can turn to in a time of need. In the house, the women and their children’s privacy is preserved while they are given the help they need to build their independence through an array of life skills, financial, legal, art therapy, counseling and employment based support.
 
Unfortunately, due to the limited capacity, the shelter has to turn down more than 90% of applicants each year. This is why Streetsville Rotary club was the leading and most generous club to support an expansion project that would see capacity increased from 9 to 19 apartments for these families.
 
In addition to a $10,000 donation, which will go directly to furnish one of the new living spaces, our club members participated in the Coldest Night of The Year walk to help raise awareness about the need at Armagh House, and to encourage other clubs in the cluster to lend a hand. The outcome was great. Our club members and their families came out happily to participate in the walk and a number of other Rotary and Rotaract clubs donated generously. 
 
Our Streetsville Rotary Club however didn’t stop there, but decided to use our last Christmas Party’s unused funds (due to COVID measures) to further support the project. 
 
During the summer months, we found out that the kids were deprived of their playing space as a result of the ongoing construction work and equipment in the parking lot, which will continue to be there till spring 2023, so we made another donation for a basketball set to allow them to get active outdoors in the small space they now have,
 
We are excited to be one of the committed sponsors of Armagh House and look forward to celebrating the completion of the expansion project. 
 
   
 
 
Submitted by Ghada Melek
Community Service Chair of Streetsville Rotary