Members (2024 /25) Brooks and District Women’s Safe Shelter Society Camrose Women’s Shelter Society Capella Centre Catholic Social Services Central Alberta Outreach Society Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter Society Chestermere Women’s Crisis Society Cochrane’s Women’s Emergency Shelter Society Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society Edmonton Women’s Shelter Ltd. Fairview and District Women’s Centre Association Grande Cache Transition House Society Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association Hope Haven Society Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation Lloydminster Interval Home Society Inc. Maskan Family Association Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association Northern Haven Support Society Northwest Alberta Resource Society Peace River Regional Women’s Shelter Society Pincher Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter Association Radiance Family Society Rowan House Society Ruth’s House Society Safe Haven Women’s Shelter Society Sage Seniors Association Stepping Stones Crisis Society Stoney Tribal Administration Strathcona Shelter Society Ltd. Sucker Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter Society The Brenda Strafford Foundation Heart Home Network True North Unison at Kerby Centre Waypoints Community Services Association Wellspring Family Resource & Crisis Centre Society Wings of Providence Society Ltd. YWCA of Banff YWCA of Lethbridge & District Yellowhead Emergency Shelter for Women Society Honorary Members Honorary Members are individuals who have made long-term, outstanding contributions to helping women and families in abusive situations, and to the activities of ACWS in particular. These Albertans have made significant efforts to end domestic violence and to improve the lives of women, children and seniors facing abuse. ACWS is honoured to call these individuals our honorary members, and are grateful to them for their work in ending violence against women, children, and seniors. Brenda Brochu Brenda spent most of her working life as a journalist and educator before taking the helm of the Peace River Regional Women’s Shelter, where she served as their Executive Director for 15 years. She was also founding board member of what is now the Odyssey House Women’s Shelter in Grande Prairie, and has had several other volunteer pursuits, including active involvement with the Peace River Environmental Society, Le Club Francais de la region du lac Cardinal and the Peace River Habitat for Humanity group. She worked part-time as a crisis intervention worker and taught at the correctional centre. As a journalist, she wrote for the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune for eight years and worked at CBC Radio in Edmonton for two years. Brenda became President of ACWS in 2013 and served as our president for two 2-year terms (2013-2017), successfully transitioning the board to a stronger governance role, while at the same time remaining a strong and fierce advocate for social justice – and in particular for Indigenous people. Janet Gladue Janet Gladue is retiring as an Executive Director for the women’s shelter on Bigstone Cree First Nation in Wabasca. Janet has worked tirelessly, often under extremely difficult times, while always maintaining her sense of humour and a commitment to the women and children who come through the shelter doors – in spite of the fact that in the x years she has been with the shelter, she has only seen one funding increase. Janet has served on the ACWS board, and she, along with her staff played a leadership role in the Walking the Path Together Project. This project created specialized intervention tools for women and children – including the Danger Assessment Circle. She has also served on the band council. With the opening of their new women’s shelter earlier this year, the band chose to name the shelter after her – using her traditional name, the Neepinise Family Healing Centre. Sandra Jansen Ms. Jansen’s courage to stand up and name the abuse she faced so that “our daughters don’t forgo the political area all together” is an important message. As Minister of Children and Family Services, Minister Jansen was supportive of women’s shelters and ensured that funding was designated for women’s shelters for renovations and repair. She is an excellent role model for any woman or girl who has been subjected to bullying, verbal abuse and threats to her safety. It is for this reason the ACWS board made the decision to award Ms. Jansen an honorary membership in 2016. Iris Evans Iris Evans has a deep-seated commitment to ensuring that women are treated fairly and with respect and that supports are available to children staying in women’s shelters. As Minister of Children’s Services, she broke the log jam that saw shelters go for years without salary increases - raising salaries to provincially contracted shelters to market level in 2002. While in office, Ms. Evans also granted funding to ACWS to provide two years of training for shelter staff and child welfare workers on Children Exposed to Family Violence. Further, in celebration of Alberta’s 100th Anniversary, she supported funding for the ACWS Standing Together book project. Following the Fekete tragedy in Red Deer, she initiated the Premier’s Roundtable on Family Violence and continues to be a strong advocate for women’s shelters and the women and children they serve. Jean Pettifor Jean Pettifor (1922-2015) devoted her life to the field of professional ethics in psychology. She served as president of both the Psychological Association of Alberta and the Canadian Psychological Association and co-authored the CPA’s code of ethics. She was also an advocate for the development of specific guidelines for women’s counselling and therapy. In addition to her many contributions to the profession, Dr. Pettifor was also involved in community organizations that supported mental health, child and youth services, women’s services, disabilities, and rehabilitation. Recognized for her service to the community, Pettifor received both a Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967 and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. In 2013, her achievements were acknowledged as she was presented with the Wilhelm Wundt/William James award by the European Congress of Psychology. Ruth Scalp Lock Ruth Scalp Lock has been advocating for Indigenous women to receive culturally appropriate services for decades. Her efforts led to the creation of the Awo Taan Healing Lodge in Calgary. Ruth’s vision and ability to make connections with people in various sectors and communities exemplify how leaders in the women’s shelter movement get things done, often against the odds. She continues to be a passionate voice to ensure Indigenous women and Indigenous experiences shape how we all do our work. Ruth’s personal story is moving and her willingness to share her life experiences makes her an important voice in ACWS. Ruth has supported ACWS as an elder and contributed to our work to better serve Indigenous women (you can see her in action here: Indigenous Women’s Leadership). Rose-Marie McCarthy Rose-Marie McCarthy was born and raised in Edmonton. She has been involved in the sheltering movement since the early 1970s. Her first recollection of the issue of sheltering is the discussions and speakers of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) meetings. She took an active role in these meetings over the years, as well as in other initiatives, churges and faith groups, culminating in a more structured project under the auspices of the Alberta Women’s Bureau with Phyllis Ellis. Eventually the Edmonton Social Planning Council was enlisted to help. She continued her involvement in the women’s sheltering movement as a volunteer at the overnight shelter at 1st Presbyterian Church as well as in the basement of the second-hand store we used on 101 Street. Her next official involvement came in 1978 when she became the secretary of the Edmonton Women’s Shelter (WIN House) Board of Directors. She held this position until 1986 when she went back to full time work as the Executive Director of the Singles Resource Centre in Edmonton. From 1982-1990 she was an appointed member of the Provincial Government’s Family Advisory Committee under the direction of the Minister of Social Services. From 1989-1991 she was the executive director of the Yellowhead Emergency Shelter Society in Hinton, Alberta. From 1991 to 1999 she was a Board member of Wings of Providence. She was soon elected to the Board of ACWS as treasurer. During this time, she was also the executive director of KARA (Kids are the Responsibility of All) Family Support Centre in northeast Edmonton. In 2001, she received honorary membership to ACWS and continues to support women, children and families. Stephen Mandel Honored in the fall of 2016, Stephen Mandel’s commitment to ACWS is demonstrated in many heartfelt ways, none the least of which is his annual outreach to the business community on our behalf. During his tenure as Mayor he moved our Breakfast with the Guys off the planning desk and onto the table. In addition, Mr. Mandel provided strong encouragement to ensure that the City of Edmonton recognized domestic violence in the workplace as a workplace hazard. Further, in 2012, he launched Family Business Connect, which raised more than $330,000 for ACWS over a three-year time span, allowing us to increase our public education efforts on violence in the workplace as well as engaging men and boys. Ardis Beaudry “Ardis Beaudry who never took ‘no’ for an answer. Beaudry was one of the founders, in 1970, of the Edmonton Women’s Emergency Overnight Shelter, a precursor to later local shelters for battered women such as WIN House.” –Edmonton Journal Gerry Carter Gerry was made an honorary member in recognition of long-term service to ACWS and to the Medicine Hat Shelter Society, where she served as Executive Director from 1992 to 2007. Gerry sat on the ACWS Board from 2001-2006.
