Elizabeth House

Why is September 30th so important?

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to remember and honour the stories and experiences of Indigenous peoples. It provides an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion and reflect on the challenging legacy of residential schools and the ongoing impact on Indigenous communities. Take the time to wear orange, listen to the stories of Indigenous peoples and participate in the discussion that moves us toward truth and reconciliation. 🧡

Not knowing if your baby is hitting their milestones is something that stresses a lot of parents out. This is a simple guide for some of the signs that you can look for. But remember to follow your intuition and talk to. a healthcare professional if you ever think something's wrong.💜

The fourth attribute of a woman staying at Elizabeth House is love - the fierce love for her often unborn child. Gilda Radner once said, "Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary – it’s an act of infinite optimism."

It is hard to imagine experiencing homelessness as a women and then realizing you were pregnant. A former resident of Elizabeth House and our keynote speaker at this year's Blooms and Blossoms event described it this way: "But even in the deepest winter, a secret spring was growing. Inside the hollow shell of who I used to be, there was you. You were a tiny heartbeat echoing against my fear." It can only be through an immense depth of love that a women would continue forward to a better life for herself and her child.

Elizabeth House

As more of everyday life moves online, having reliable access to technology can play an important role in participating in our communities and accessing essential services.

Your old technology could help provide that access to someone who needs it.

Give your unused technology a second life with ERA!

This week was consent awareness week! As of 2022, only 45% of Canadians understand what it means to give or get consent (Canadian Women Foundation). Here are some tips for identifying consent within yourself and others, and also some signs that consent isn't being given. This conversation is crucial to reducing gender based violence and intimate partner violence. Let's make sure we keep talking about what consent means beyond just this week!

Su***de prevention includes perinatal mental health. 💜

When we talk about su***de risk, pregnancy and the postpartum period are important to include in the conversation.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is more than the “baby blues.” It is a serious and treatable mental health condition that can occur during the first year after giving birth. For some people, PPD can include thoughts of death or su***de.
Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is different. It is rare, affecting approximately 1–2 in every 1,000 births, but it is a psychiatric emergency. Symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, severe confusion, extreme mood changes and significant changes in sleep. Immediate medical attention is crucial.

In Canada, approximately 80,000 people are affected by perinatal mental illness each year. Yet stigma, lack of awareness and barriers to accessing care can make it difficult for people to get the support they need.

We often get swept up in the excitement of a new baby and forget to check in on the mother. This Su***de Awareness Month, let's remember to ask about the person, not just the baby. Remember, asking about su***de doesn’t put the idea into someone’s head. But it can open the space for a conversation.

***deAwarenessMonth ***dePrevention

Thank you to the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies ministry for the generous donation to Elizabeth House and having me to speak about the programs and services Elizabeth House provides.

It's Gender Equality Week! Check out this info from the Government of Canada on why this week is so important and where the big gaps remain in gender equality. Gender equality is a crucial piece of the conversation when talking about housing, domestic violence, education and maternal mental health.
What are you going to do this week to promote gender equality?

September is FASD awareness month! Swipe through to learn what it is, who it affects and what causes it. Learn what you can do to lower FASD rates at https://canfasd.ca/topics/prevention/ .

This is a page from our 2025 impact report! It offers an inside look at the transformative work happening within our walls and the incredible resilience of the families we serve. It's available on our website under our 'about us' page.

If you're curious about more of the details of what we do and the population we serve, definitely check it out! 💜