Tag Archives: SASCWR

Funding cuts, negligence and broken promises have pushed a successful community program to the brink of survival

MP Holmes
Kitchener, ON

 

The Male Allies program in Kitchener Ontario played an important role in understanding the sexual assault charges levied at Hockey Canada, but now the program is struggling amidst funding cuts and unmet promises.

Run in conjunction with the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region, the Male allies group and its sports-focused program remains an important component  in preventing gender-based violence. The program is supported by community foundations, including Rangers Reach, the community foundation of the Kitchener Rangers hockey team, but without stable operational funding, the positive impact of the training sessions on young athletes is in jeopardy.

CKMS talks to Jacob Pries, the  project facilitator of the Male Allies program, and Craig Campbell, the executive director of Rangers Reach.

 

CKMS News -2024-01-17- Counseling program for survivors of sexual assault seeks public funding as demand exceeds government support.

2024-01-17 – Counseling program for survivors of sexual assault seeks public funding as demand exceeds government support

by; dan kellar

Ongoing disagreements between the regional and provincial government for responsibility in funding the programs which support survivors of sexual assault and gender based violence have left many of those progams chronically underfunded. In Waterloo Region, this underfunding leaves the providers of those programs pleading for donations from local residents.

In November 2023, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region announced they had received a “transformative” donation of 250,000$ from Waterloo based millionaires Bob and Judy Astley. SASC has said the donation will “go towards a much-needed expansion of SASC’s Individual Counseling Program, which has seen unprecedented service requests in recent years.”  There are over 200 survivors on the counseling waiting list.

This show features interviews with Sara Casselman, the executive director of SASCWR, and regional councilor for Cambridge Pam Wolf. The show also includes comments provided to CKMS News by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services.