Frank Burns was delighted to introduce Dr. Joy Johnson-Green. Joy is the Executive Director of Sonshine Community Services, a facility providing assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Joy's previous life includes the executive director of the Calgary Women's Shelter and she was recognized as the "Inspiring Person of the Year".

Domestic violence can happen at any level of society, at any social or economic level and in any culture. We all probably know someone who has been affected by the problem. Alberta has the highest rate of domestic violence in the country.

The City of Calgary has been assisting women and children through the longest established network. Calgary city police respond to 30,000 calls a year involving physical assaults, plus there are the verbal abuse cases and the financial abuses.

Eighty-five percent of the cases are against women, but men are also victims.

There are two levels of women's shelters. The first is an emergency shelter where typically a woman and her children flee to for protection from an enraged partner who is threatening her and the children. This shelter can only accommodate the family or the single woman for 21 days. That is often not enough time for healing, counselling, finding new and safe accommodation, and perhaps finding a new job.

Sonshine Community Services is the second level of assistance. A woman and her children can live safely with Sonshine for up to a whole year in an independent living unit. While she and her children are there, they receive counselling for all aspects of life, mentoring, education and generally raising her self-esteem in a safe environment.

The children also receive counselling to try to break the cycle of children who have seen and experienced abuse becoming abusers themselves. Children will tell it like it really is when mom is still in denial and tell what they saw and experienced. Over time, children become immune to the physical and mental pain and anguish. Sonshine Community Services works with the kids to re-programme their responses and re-educate them for more appropriate behaviour.

Domestic violence and abuse is the single biggest reason for homelessness in women. Sonshine is a physically safe building with cameras everywhere, double doors in the entryway and lots of police protection. Women are urged to not return to their homes to pick up "stuff" because it has proven to be very unsafe with unpredictable behaviour from the remaining partner.

The average woman in this situation attempts to leave the relationship seven times before she is successful at making a good break.

Breaking the cycle is a very big part of the work Sonshine does. To that end, they are actively working with the school system to begin teaching the kids at the elementary level the concept of respect — respect for themselves, for others, and for different ideas.

In the questions following her presentation, Joy, an immigrant herself (albeit a long time ago), was adamant that people coming to make a new life in Canada must understand that it is a privilege, not a right, and we must teach them what is acceptable, what the rules are and what are the consequences if those rules are broken. It is not acceptable to bring customs that involve abuse of any sort, to anyone, to Canada.

Helen King had the privilege of thanking Dr. Johnson-Green for her passion and dedication and a very moving talk. Dr. Joy was delighted with her new desk ornament, our world famous Boltman.

reported by Lynne Thornton