Building safer communities for after they leave: 2023-24 annual report
2023-24 was a milestone year for Luke’s Place, marking the 20 anniversary of opening our doors to offer family law support services to women leaving abuse.
As we mark this anniversary, we know that our services and those of the many critical organizations serving women subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV) are needed now more than ever. IPV is an epidemic, a declaration that has now been made by nearly 100 municipalities across Ontario. We join the call for the province of Ontario to follow suit by passing Bill 173 without further delay. Doing so would bring violence out of the shadows, making it clear that IPV is both a public health crisis and public policy priority. The declaration would also validate for survivors and those living with IPV, that this violence is both real and wrong.
With respect to our work, this year was no exception to our long history of service innovation to help women gain the skills, knowledge and support they need to more safely navigate the legal system.
As part of our commitment to access to justice, we have undertaken extensive accessibility audits of several resources and are adapting our services and resources for increased accessibility.
We continued to build capacity across the sector to adapt our service model and resources for their communities. At the same time, we advocated at all levels of government, and helped shape the sector through numerous consultations and trainings.
Made possible by the generosity of our funders and donors, the commitment of our staff and volunteers, and the support of our community, we are honoured to share our story of building safer communities in 2023-24.
