Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services in Brantford International Women’s Day for the 16th consecutive year on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
The event is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year and over 161 people turned out to commemorate the 114th International Women’s Day (IWD).
The evening was not only a way to celebrate women and to raise awareness about Nova Vita’s programs and services, but it was also an opportunity to discuss the importance of gender equality and the work being done to put an end to violence and homelessness within the Brantford-Brant community.
“IWD is a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to achieving gender equality,” said Anne Herbison-Ruddell, Nova Vita’s Fund Development and Strategic Initiatives Manager. “For Nova Vita, IWD is about folks coming together to make this world a more inclusive, equitable, and safe place, and we were so happy to hear from a number of incredible female leaders from our own community while helping to raise awareness about the work we do at Nova Vita and to raise funding for our essential programs and services.”
Herbison-Ruddell said that the theme of this year’s event, which was visually represented with a kitchen table on stage, was “the kitchen is the heart of the home, and tonight we are inviting you into ours.”
“Think about it, in any home, around the world, since the beginning of time, the kitchen table has always been a special place. It is where we gather; it is where food is shared, days are recounted, games are played, where a child gets help with homework, problems are discussed, futures are planned, and plans become reality; it’s where we talk, we laugh, we cry and we connect,” she said. “What we really hope hit home was how so much of what we do, and has an impact in our life, happens around this sacred gathering place. We were fortunate to have a strong line-up of female leaders featured as speakers. Each of them, and their work in the community, has foundations at the kitchen table.”
During the event, several speakers joined Nova Vita around the “kitchen table” to help raise awareness about this year’s More Than a Bed fundraising campaign and to help raise funds to upgrade the organization’s 33 bed emergency shelter kitchen.
“Our presenting sponsors, Vanessa Hammond “The Mortgage Broker” and Erin McIntyre of Haus and Co Real Estate, do some of their best work with clients around a kitchen table. Our special guest speaker, Insp. Andrea Quenneville, Detachment Commander for the Brant OPP, shared the connection to the kitchen table as a place where police responding to a domestic violence call will sit, listen, support, offer resources and safety planning,” recalled Herbison-Ruddell. “Our Executive Director, Natasha Dobler, also shared her personal journey to her role today as our leader at Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services and how it started at her own kitchen table when she was 17 years old sparking her personal desire to make this world a safer place for women and girls.”
She added that at any given time, there are anywhere from 15 to 20 women and 20 to 25 children who call their shelter home, and that this year’s goal was to raise $40,000 to help purchase new energy efficient appliances and much needed kitchen equipment for the soon to be renovated kitchen.
“The room showed up incredibly, helping us raise over $23,000 during our ten-minute fund-a-need reverse auction,” said Herbison Ruddell. “We also have had a number of other businesses and foundations invest over $13,000 to date, leaving us $4,000 shy of hitting our target! Renovations are set to begin in April and I am starting to order the appliances now.”
She said that while she is incredibly grateful for the support, there’s still more work to be done.
“We are inviting community members to consider donating to our More Than A Bed Campaign,” said Herbison Ruddell. “We’re still looking to raise $5,000 for a high temperature sanitizing dishwasher, $1,000 towards buying three new energy efficient refrigerators, $500 to help buy new built-in microwaves, and $100 to buy kitchen essentials like baking sheets and pots and pans.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
