COLD LAKE - The Cold Lake Stepping Stones Crisis Society held an open house on Oct. 23, giving the public a chance to meet staff, tour the facility, and learn more about the organization’s services and mission.
The event showcased the society’s ongoing commitment to supporting women and families impacted by domestic violence, while also providing updates on their women’s shelter building project.
“The open house this year is an exciting time. We've got lots of programs on the go. We have a “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes” getting ready to happen. We have the new building project that's underway. We're coming into the month of November, which is the Family Violence Prevention Month,” said Melissa Francis, CEO of Stepping Stones Crisis Society.
The open house offered attendees insight into the organization’s core operations and programs. Francis explained, “When you come in the door, you're going to see a little bit about our core operations, about the building, about Walk a Mile, our events. And then as you come in, you go downstairs and you're able to visit with all the different programs that we run, from the community kitchen to the outreach, to the client advocacy, and Healthy Babies.”
One of the most anticipated developments shared during the open house was the update of the construction of the new women’s shelter, which is nearing completion. “Right now, we're at 65 per cent completion,” Francis shared.
“They're in the process of pouring sidewalks and the parking lot. They are completely done with all of the concrete, which is the framing. They're working on getting all of the interior framed up.”
She added that the shelter is expected to be finished by mid-to-late July 2025. Francis also noted that next year's open house will be held at the new shelter, marking a significant milestone for the organization.
Stepping Stones Crisis Society offers more than just shelter to women fleeing domestic violence.
“One of our core functions is to assist women who are fleeing violence within the home or intimate partner, family violence, but more than that we do outreach services,” Francis said. Their outreach programs and advocacy work extend to educating the community on domestic violence and prevention.
In addition to sharing their work with the public, the society also launched its capital campaign, aimed at bridging the funding gap for the new shelter.
The campaign will involve outreach to local businesses and community members, inviting them to be part of the society's mission and have a hand in the completion of the new shelter.
For Francis, the open house was about much more than showcasing their services - it was about fostering connection within the community.
“One of the things that I'm really big on is we're a community-based organization and that means that we have to include our community, and we have to embrace the community that we have here in Cold Lake,” she said.
“It's really important to open the doors and to have conversations with everybody and allow them to get to know us, allow them to get to know what we offer, and if you're ever in a situation where you need help, who we are and what we're going to provide you.”
Francis encourages community involvement, inviting attendees to connect with April Simard at [email protected] for information on volunteering and other ways to get involved with the organization.
