Interval House of Hamilton consists of the Victoria & Friends emergency 22-bed shelter, as well as community programs, for women and their children who are experiencing family violence, abuse and/or human trafficking. Founded in 1986, Interval House of Hamilton was the first shelter in Hamilton dedicated to exclusively serving women and children who have experienced violence or abuse. Today, Interval House of Hamilton offers a wide variety of programs and services, including community-based programs that provide counselling, peer-support, legal advocacy, and system navigation.
In addition to our client-based services, Interval House of Hamilton also has a gender-based violence prevention program called MentorAction, which engages youth and men who are committed to eradicating gender-based violence through education, mentorship and community participation to challenge existing norms that sustain or perpetuate gender-based violence. MentorAction consists of two main programs:
- Be More Than A Bystander is a campaign that connects male leaders with community youth, to address gender-based violence by engaging in discussions about prevention strategies.
- Coaching Boys into Men trains, motivates, and uplifts coaches from a variety of sports backgrounds, levels, and age groups to have meaningful conversations with their male athletes about healthy relationships, consent, mental health, peer pressure, and challenging attitudes and behaviours that might facilitate violence.
Our Mission
Violence free lives for all women, children and communities.
Our Vision
Interval House of Hamilton will be an innovative leader providing compassionate care and sustainable, highly integrated services in our quest for violence free lives for women, children and communities.
Our Values
- Empowerment
- Confidentiality & Privacy
- Health & Safety
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Equity for Women
- Effective & Responsive Communication
- Responsible & Professional Service
Our Services
- Emergency Shelter: Available for women with or without children who are experiencing violence, abuse and/or trafficking, Victoria and Friends Women’s Shelter offers emergency shelter, a safe environment, meals, and access to support workers.
- Crisis Line: Supports are anonymous and confidential. Our workers can provide you with crisis support, safety planning, information, and referrals. In the event of an emergency, or if you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are worried that your situation does not constitute a “crisis,” please call us anyways. Your safety is our top concern.
- Counselling: Interval House of Hamilton offers a wide variety of individual, group, and youth counselling options for women and their children. Sessions are individualized, trauma-informed and goal-based. Counsellors will support you as move through your journey of healing. Throughout your sessions, your wellness and safety remain paramount.
- Employment: Whether you are looking for a new start, or are looking for your first independent career, our counsellors are ready and available to help! Interval House of Hamilton is pleased to offer the following employment-centric counselling services that will help you make a lasting impression in both the interview and as an employee: job searching skills, resume writing, computer skills, and interview skills. Our goal is to help you build economic independence and resiliency.
- Legal Advocacy & System Navigation: Legal advocates are available to assist women navigate the family, criminal, and immigration legal systems. Legal advocates can support women with court accompaniments, meetings with lawyers, advocacy, safety planning, legal referrals and debriefing after meetings and court appearances.
- Peer Support: Our peer support volunteers provide confidential individual support in a safe and trusting environment for you to discuss life’s challenges. The process of healing takes time – and our peer support volunteers are here to support you.
- Wellness and Recovery Groups: Wellness and recovery groups offer a safe space to meet with others and share your journey. Groups are provided in-person and online and range in session length. All groups are free of charge and offer participants a range of topics.
