Domestic violence is trending upward in the area, with a Vernon transition house seeing a 62 per cent increase in the number of women and children it served since the last fiscal year. 

In the past year, Archway Society for Domestic Peace served 226 women for a total of 3,056 night stays, with 113 children served for a total of 2,240 night stays. 

Organizations like Archway help women who experience intimate partner violence, providing life-saving services such as safe shelter (the transition house program), counselling, justice advocacy, child and youth advocacy, outreach services and collaborative community projects. The agency provides support and counselling through 18 programs across six locations in the North Okanagan, designed to assist women, children and families in need. 

Archway says two in five Canadian women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. While announcing the alarming trend of increased domestic violence cases locally, it says shelters across Canada lack adequate funds to support the high number of women and children escaping domestic violence. 

"Women's shelters play an essential role in providing not only immediate safety, but also support, and resources for women in crisis, while also addressing broader social issues like homelessness, inequality, and gender-based violence," Archway said in a media release. 

With shelters needing help "urgently," the Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health 'Giving Shelter' campaign is helping women access the support they need. In the North Okanagan, people can support the transition house by donating at Vernon Shoppers Drug Mart stores until Oct. 4, as well as online at . 

Many women and children fleeing abusive situations rely on the transition house for immediate safety and protection. Archway's transition house offers a secure environment free from threats of violence. It also offers access to counselling, legal aid, housing support and other services. 

The transition house is child-friendly and offers a space for children to receive emotional support, education and safety. 

The transition house provides round-the-clock support for women in crisis. It also contributes to efforts to reduce gender-based violence by providing a safe space and advocating for social and legal reforms. 

Archway professionals offer trauma-informed care, supporting women in recovering from emotional, physical and psychological harm caused by abuse or violence, especially those from marginalized communities. 

The Shoppers Foundation for Women害羞草研究所檚 Health Giving Shelter campaign unites all stores to raise funds and awareness for more than 300 local women害羞草研究所檚 shelters and programs across the country and 100 per cent of donations stay in local communities.

Three Vernon Shoppers Drug Marts are supporting Archway: Vernon Plaza on 27th Street, Polson Place Mall and downtown Vernon on 31st Avenue.

If you or someone you know has been harmed by domestic violence (gender-based violence), contact Archway Society for Domestic Peace at 250-542-1122 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).