2021 Walk a Mile event at Lambton Mall. (Photo courtesy of the Women's Interval Home)2021 Walk a Mile event at Lambton Mall. (Photo courtesy of the Women's Interval Home)
Sarnia

Walk a Mile returns to mall with important stories

The stories of local survivors who left domestic violence situations will soon be seen at Lambton Mall as people participate in the annual Walk a Mile event.

The fundraiser, organized by the Women’s Interval Home of Sarnia Lambton, will take place on Saturday, November 19.

"This year, we are having nine different posters being left up throughout Lambton Mall and each poster is a different survivor and their story," said Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator Josephine Ethier. "It's really a beautiful thing that these survivors have come and offered to share their story and let Sarnia-Lambton know that these are their very own. They live in town here and they were here in the home, trying to get away from domestic violence."

Ethier said registration for the walk is down compared to last year, however, residents are still invited to show support on the day of.

Walk a Mile raises awareness about domestic and gender-based violence, while also raising funds to support programs offered by the organization.

"The government actually only supports 74 per cent of anything in house, so that's just the general shelter itself," said Ethier. "Anything that we do outside of that, including all of our programs that we offer -- and we highly encourage the preventative programs -- all of our women's groups, youth groups, the kids' crafts, those types of groups are not funded at all; that all comes from the community support that we do receive."

Ethier said they also provide healthy meals and other general necessities at the home.

Earlier this month, the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Centre Sarnia-Lambton said they have seen a 67 per cent increase in services accessed over the past year. Ethier said they too have noticed an increase in need.

"We're always at full capacity and we have a waitlist. The biggest problem would be the housing crisis that we have here in Sarnia, especially the affordable housing," Ethier said. "To get people in house and then finding them somewhere else to go instead of back to the abuser is the issue and so the turnover rate is not what we would like it to be."

The goal during this year's initiative is to raise nearly $10,000.

The Walk a Mile event will take place at the mall from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Read More Local Stories