'Don't give up:' women, children in Sudbury shelter send postcards of love, hope to others

A project at the YWCA Genevra House in Sudbury aims to reach out to women and children living in other shelters around the world — and to share with them a message of love and hope. 

Genevra House is an emergency refuge in Sudbury for women and their children escaping domestic violence.

Marlene Gorman, executive director, said The Postcard Project has been embraced by women staying there. To mark International Women's Day, they hand-made postcards to send to others like them within the YWCA network of shelters. 

And the recipients are not known to the women making the postcards. The only thing that connects them is hard luck. 

"People are just sharing messages — women to other women, especially — women who've been affected by violence. You know, that take each day as it comes. Messages of strength ... and resilience," said Gorman.  

Martine Simon read from a stack of the colourful postcards. 

"'Remember that you are important no matter where you come from. Happy International Women's Day'," one said. 

Simon is a shelter support worker at the YWCA Genevra House. 

"There's a child that's staying here right now, and she's very quiet and timid," she said. "She doesn't talk to anybody, but I know she's very artistic.

"So she came in and made a postcard, and I love this card because she came up with this by herself ... it says, 'Never let your fears stop you. Just remember you are beautiful no matter what happens'."

'Empowered women empower'

For the women who've made the cards, Gorman said there's sometimes a measure of healing. 

"First, art in itself is therapeutic, and for the women — being able to just connect with other women across the globe, to send a message to someone that they think may be struggling in the same way that they are right now, and that their message could have meaning and hope for someone else," she said.  

"There's a saying: 'empowered women empower'."

Stephanie Fournier works with Reseau Access Network in Sudbury,  an HIV/AIDS service organization. It partnered with Genevra House on the project.

"It's important to reach out and tell each other that you see that other women [are] doing all of those things ... they need to get done to survive, to take care of their family, to take care of themselves," she said. 

"I think it's great that we're taking a moment to celebrate each other. Connection is really important. Just a kind message to another person, another woman, can make a huge difference in someone's life."