Standing Together to Prevent Domestic Violence

Grant recipients 2019: Standing Together Domestic Violence Grants

Standing Together grants help community groups and organizations test new, innovative ideas, and explore best practices for preventing domestic violence, supporting victims, and changing outcomes for women, girls, families, and communities.

Government will use the learning and evidence gathered from these projects to inform the best plan for ending the cycle of domestic violence in Nova Scotia.

In spring 2019, 24 organizations received Standing Together grants. There are 2 types of grants:

• Standing Together Domestic Violence Prevention Grants provide up to $10,000 over one year for projects that raise awareness about domestic violence and encourage people and communities to get involved and take action.
• Standing Together Domestic Violence Shift Grants provide up to $75,000 over two years to help organizations explore, develop and test new and innovative ideas for preventing domestic violence and supporting victims and their families.

Prevention Grants

Alice House

Education as Prevention
HRM
$10,000

The project will involve education seminars for various age groups and environments about the complexities of abuse in intimate partner relationships.

Clifford Street Youth Centre Society

Hope Soap for Emotional Intelligence
North Sydney
$7,001

The project will focus on increasing emotional intelligence and self-care practices for youth by working with skilled artisans to create “soap art.”

East Preston Empowerment Academy

Creating New Pathways for African Nova Scotian Boys and Men to Break the Silence About Domestic Violence
East Preston
$10,000

The project will bring together African Nova Scotian boys and men to review, uncover, and address the topic of domestic violence, learn how to create healthy relationships, and prevent violence in the community.

Eskasoni School Board

Red Dress Project
Eskasoni
$3,400

The project will work with high school youth to discuss the media’s impact on violence, violence prevention, and community violence prevention strategies. The youth will create an art project and film.

Heartwood Centre for Community Youth Development

Reclaiming Our Roots: Land-Based Learning for Urban Indigenous Youth
Halifax
$10,000

Workshops for Indigenous youth to reclaim their confidence in traditional skills and develop a better understanding of self. Workshops offer an opportunity for gathering, empowerment and the space to hold conversations on healthy relationships, community, and healing, as well as how to better address and prevent the impacts of violence on Indigenous women.

Hope Blooms Youth Social Entrepreneurial Ventures

Youth Violence Prevention and Building Healthy Relationships
North End Halifax
$10,000

The project will facilitate discussions for youth involved in the Hope Blooms program about dating violence, gender stereotypes, sexual violence, and healthy relationships. It will also assist youth with civic engagement, teach media literacy, and encourage the creation of alternative forms of media for girls and young women.

Indian Brook Native Women’s Chapter

Apakulmut’ek
Indian Brook/Sipekne’katik
$9,860

This project will work with Indigenous girls, women, and couples to create traditional ribbon skirts while discussing domestic violence and what can be done to prevent it.

Naomi Society

A Youth’s Perspective: Engaging Children and Youth in Discussion on Domestic Violence
Antigonish, Guysborough
$10,000

The project will take place through in-school lunch programs that will work to interrupt the cycle of violence using a trauma-informed approach and help reduce barriers for boys who are seeking services for school-based healthy relationship programming.

Petite Riviere Elementary School

Boys Day: Empowering Boys While Developing Self-Confidence and Healthy Connections
Petite Riviere
$3,950

The project aims to offer a fun day of learning for boys in grades 4-6 across the South Shore. Topics for this year may include gender equality, healthy relationships, LGBTQ, internet safety, gaming, and building self-confidence.

Pictou County Women’s Resource and Sexual Assault Centre

Slut: The Play
Pictou County
$7,850

The play is inspired by real experiences of high school students with sexual assault, and explores gender norms, rape culture, and healthy sexuality. The project aims to have 4 performances of the play. Following each of the four performances, there will be conversations about available community resources and supports.

Shelburne County Youth Health and Support Association

Girl on Fire
Shelburne
$8,149.64

This is a 12-week program with an ultimate goal of empowering young women in 2 Shelburne and Lockeport high schools to make healthy life choices.

South West Nova Transition House Association (Juniper House)

Violence Resistance in Youth
Yarmouth, Shelburne, Digby
$10,000

The project will develop a youth advisory group through high schools in Shelburne County to determine the impacts and realities of violence for those who identify as women and live in rural Nova Scotia.

Union of Nova Scotia Indians

New Paths
5 Mi’kmaw communities in Cape Breton (Eskasoni, Membertou, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, We’koqma’q)
$10,000

The project will address domestic violence and anger management using the seven sacred teachings and will incorporate both visuals and storytelling designed by a registered psychotherapist with input from Elders, cultural support advisors, community members, and other professional organizations.

Shift Grants

Association of Black Social Workers

Black Men and Boys Nonviolence Project
North Preston, East Preston, Cherrybrook, Halifax
$75,000

The project seeks to encourage men to take an active role in ending violence against women by reviewing what healthy relationships and communication look like, how to have and show respect for women and girls, and learn how to model respectful behavior with other men and boys.

Bridges Institute

Guys Work: Grade 7
Truro, Halifax
$75,000

The project will help grade 7 boys examine masculinity and its connection to intimate partner violence at an age where pressures and expectations around unhelpful masculinity are beginning to surface and certain behaviors are becoming normalized.

Descendants of African Americans Enslaved Living in Nova Scotia

The Last Taboo: African Canadian Women and Girls Confronting Domestic Violence in the Community
North Preston
$69,000

The project will address domestic violence awareness, cultural identity, self-esteem, legal knowledge, and culturally specific strength-based approaches to addressing prevention through a series of African Nova Scotian women talking circles, a platform for women and girls to openly and freely discuss this topic while educating participants with important resources. A documentary will also be created.

Easter Seals Nova Scotia

Not Without Us: Shifting the Response for Women with Disabilities Experiencing Domestic Violence
Halifax Regional Municipality, Truro, Amherst, Sydney, Yarmouth
$74,990

The project will hire a coordinator who will organize comprehensive conversations in 5 areas of Nova Scotia to turn participants’ words into action for the thousands of women living with disabilities who experience or are vulnerable to domestic violence.

Eskasoni Mental Health Services

The Way Forward: Understanding Healthy Masculinity
Eskasoni
$75,000

The project will initiate a weekly discussion group program in Eskasoni for boys aged 11-14 and men aged 18-35 to normalize help-seeking behavior and build a better understanding of boys’ and men’s holistic health in line with the social determinants of First Nations wellness and related indicators of such wellness.

Family Service of Eastern Nova Scotia

Strait Area Healthy Relationships: Engaging Men and Boys
Antigonish, Guysborough, Richmond, Inverness
$75,000

The project’s primary focus is school-based peer-facilitated programming, after-school youth engagement programming, drop-in social inclusion sessions for men, and systems navigation family violence supports for men and boys. Subjects include healthy relationships, informed consent, well-being, physical exercise, nutrition and cooking, employment skills, budgeting, free personal hygiene appointments, and coordinating domestic violence services and referrals.

Membertou Men’s Society

Engaging Mi’kmaq Men and Boys to End Domestic Violence
Membertou
$58,000

This project will engage men and boys in Membertou to stand up against family violence towards women and children in the community by engaging them in cultural activities, reconnecting with traditional roles, and development of a cultural campaign to honour, respect, and protect women and children in the community.

Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association

Ending Domestic Violence Starts with Me
Provincewide
$75,000

The project intends to prevent violence against Mi’kmaq women by using intergenerational learning and cultural reintegration to strengthen sense of self and belonging.

Transition House Association of Nova Scotia

Not Just Victims of Family Violence: Our Children, Our Future
Nova Scotia
$75,000

The project will provide expert training for staff members in member organizations across the province on working with children who have experienced domestic and family violence.

Victim Services Volunteer Association

Halifax Regional Police Victims Services Domestic Violence Offender Navigator Pilot Project
Halifax Regional Municipality
$75,000

This project will create a Domestic Violence Offender Navigator pilot program. Navigators are additional advocates who will support offenders with help accessing counselling, housing support if they have to leave the home, and help find solutions for offenders to continue providing financial support to their children.

YWCA Halifax

My Voice Matters: Supporting and Engaging Young Women to End Domestic Violence
Nova Scotia
$74,997.06

This project focuses on developing community-based supports for young women who are leaving domestic violence situations, including leveraging the December 6 Fund which provides interest-free micro-loans to women leaving domestic violence.

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