Art heals, uplifts and inspires! This May (Sexual Assault Prevention Month), join our Centre as we explore art's transformative power!
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​Please support our work and local artists through our first-ever virtual art auction, or double your impact with our donation matching program, thanks to a local Social Venture Partner! We are hoping to raise $20,000 in support of survivors of sexual violence.

You are also invited to participate in our free programming! Learn about sexual violence prevention in an arts-based public education workshop, or find support through art therapy groups and workshops. 

Make a donation (up to $5000 in donations will be matched!)

VIRTUAL ART AUCTION

Educational Opportunities

Group Counselling Programs

 

Donor Match Opportunity

Update: Match goal reached! A local Social Venture Partner has now matched the first $5000 in donations that were made this month! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We are still counting donations towards our total fundraising target for this month ($20,000), so check out the donation form below to give.

Put the HEART in Heartwork! Like a beautiful work of art, generosity has the power to heal, uplift and inspire. From May 1 - 31, 2021, your one-time gift will be MATCHED by a local Social Venture Partner! Our anonymous donor will generously match up to $5000 in donations.

​Fill out the secure donation form below to get started. You will receive an automatic tax receipt via e-mail. 

To learn more about SASC, and why we need your help, please click the headings below. If you're ready to give, please proceed to the donation form below.

About SASC                                                                                                                            

We know that sexual violence is a crime and human rights violation. For over 30 years, our Centre has played a pivotal role in our community’s responsibility to both provide support to people who have been sexually assaulted and to work toward ending sexual violence.

Our History
In 1989, local women (many of them survivors) began to strategize when Waterloo Region became the largest region in Ontario without critical sexual assault support services. The women were determined to build a strong grassroots centre that could truly respond to the community need. 

In October of that same year, with an anonymous $1000 gift, and donated airtime from an answering service, they launched our 24-Hour Support Line. Our Centre's founding was due to the efforts of 25 volunteers, 10 of whom worked endless shifts during those first months.

Our Work Today
SASC has now grown to include 23 staff members and 80 volunteers. We offer free, wrap-around services and support to people and their families who have experienced sexual violence. We provide individual and group counselling, a 24-Hour Support Line and Online Chat, and advocacy and accompaniments for those navigating court, police, and medical processes. We have a dedicated Family Court Support and Anti-Human Trafficking Program. In addition to our support services, we're committed to preventing sexual violence through education and social justice work.

Why We Need Your Help                                                                                                      

Today, our work faces an unprecedented challenge. Due to the #MeToo movement, and faced with the additional challenge of a global pandemic, our waitlist has reached an all-time high. Five years ago, 40 survivors on our waitlist would have been a crisis; we now have 160. And the need is only growing.

We know that in times of natural disasters, such as pandemics, cases of sexual violence only increase. We also know that survivors face increased challenges. Anything from isolation, to safety concerns, can threaten to disrupt the healing journey.

The increased need for support, initially brought upon by a cultural shift due to the #MeToo movement, is now compounded with a public health crisis. Requests for help from our Centre continue to come in record numbers. Our most recent statistics reflect a 24 per cent increase in requests for individual counselling from survivors of sexual violence.

Nevertheless, we persist because we fiercely believe in our vision of a world without sexual violence and oppression. We call upon our community to stand in solidarity with our Centre's vision. Join us as a a donor, and help make a difference.

Donation Form

 

Sponsorships

Cash Sponsorships
Would you like to sponsor Heartwork? We are looking for businesses who would like to make a difference for survivors of sexual violence in our Region. Please email Laura Hill, Development and Communications Coordinator, if you would like to review our sponsorship package! 

Email us for a sponsorship package

Virtual Art Auction

go to our auction platform

Preview begins: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | Noon
Bidding begins: Wednesday May 12, 2021 | Noon
Bidding closes: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | Noon

Join us from May 12 - 19 for our first ever virtual art auction! We'll be auctioning off a wide array of fine art, handmade items, and more.

Winning bids support our many services, including Individual and Group Counselling, 24 Hour Support Line and Online Chat, Public Education Program, and our Anti-Human Trafficking and Family Court Support programs.

On select items, winning bids will also support local artists!! That's right - to show our solidarity with local artists we are offering a profit-sharing model for eligible auction items. Local, independent artists who donate their own creations can receive 50 per cent of the net proceeds from the sale of their art.

​Friends, our call for help is urgent! In the post #MeToo movement, we have been overwhelmed with calls for support. Five years ago, 40 survivors on our waitlist would have been a crisis; we now have 160. And with the current pandemic, the need is only growing. We are reaching out to our community today to help increase our Centre’s capacity so that no survivor languishes on our waitlist.

 

Public Education Programs

Join us for a free arts-based public education opportunity in May! Below are the dates and themes of our programs. Full details and registration will be available on Thursday, April 1, 2021.

Healing Through the Art of Yoga
Wednesdays, May 5, 12, 19 & 26 | 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Healing Through the Art of Yoga is a 4-week practice that explores healing through yoga. These sessions will be focused on a Hatha style practice. Move steadily through postures one at a time, become aligned with your breath and practise being in the moment. Hatha classes promote balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness of the mind. 

How to participate: 

1. Sign up at least an hour before class starts.  
2. Set up your practice space & tech. 
3.  Ensure you have downloaded the Zoom app, your device is plugged in, and your speakers work. 
4. Check your email 10 minutes before class starts for a link to join the class. 
5. Sign in on time. 
6. Practice. 

Adjei is a recent graduate of 2021 Union Yoga 225 hr. Yoga Teacher Training. He has been practising yoga for the past 3 years. Adjei decided to take the next step to deepen his practice and teach in 2020, but due to COVID-19, he couldn’t continue his teacher training at that time.

Yoga is a healing practice for Adjei; it is a space to rewrite stories and engage in re-creating an intimate connection with ourselves. Storytelling is an essential part of how Adjei moves through the world, and he is always down to support others in retelling their stories through movement and embodiment. 

Adjei is also a creative writer, storyteller, plant lover, and aspiring farmer; he enjoys backcountry camping, cycling in the city and climbing trees. 

“Life is all about the experiences we share along the journey that we’re on, and the lessons we learn shapes us into the person we are today. We are like trees receiving nutrients from the earth while being shaped by the wind and directed by the sun. We’re always growing.”  ​

Register For Healing Through The Art Of Yoga

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Healing Through Art
Guest Facilitator: Hana Shafi (Frizz Kid)
Thursday, May 6 | 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
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No artistic experience required! Attend a low-pressure, de-stressing digital workshop where we'll be making affirmation art, where you will centre yourself, your own healing, and lived experiences. Our Guest Facilitator, Hana Shafi (also commonly known as Frizz Kid) will lead you through a couple of simple art exercises to warm up your fingers and then we'll create affirmation art together. 

Hana Shafi is a writer and artist who illustrates under the name Frizz Kid. Both her visual art and writing frequently explore themes such as feminism, body politics, racism, and pop culture.  Her first book, It Begins With The Body was selected by CBC books as one of the best poetry books of 2018. Her second book, Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty is in stores now. 

Register For Healing Through Art

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Male Allies Bystander Intervention
How Do We Support? Tools To Disrupt Sexual Assault In Our Communities
Thursday, May 13 | 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
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This Sexual Assault Prevention Month, we call on men to engage in conversations about how to support femme folks and children who are experiencing high levels of sexual assault. In this workshop, we explore ways we can be active bystanders in preventing sexual assaults. Oftentimes these conversations and modelling happen before a sexual assault occurs, so we will be inviting you to come to build tools that will support women, queer folks, and children in your community. 

Register For Male Allies Bystander Intervention Training

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​Dance as Healing: Moving Through Trauma to Create Change
Presented in partnership with Consent Is Golden
Guest Facilitator: Ravyn Wngz
Thursday, May 27 | 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Throughout human history, people have used dance to communicate, celebrate, and heal. Dance can be a radical statement in the face of systems that oppress and value some bodies over others. It can be a way of expressing feelings that no words can explain. In this way, dance can be revolutionary.

Join us for an interactive conversation with Ravyn Wngz about dance and movement. In this workshop Ravyn will discuss the ways in which she has used dance and movement in healing from trauma and creating change. There will be opportunities to move your body, but this is not required. Participants will come away with a new appreciation of the power of movement for survivors of trauma.
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Ravyn Wngz “The Black Widow of Burlesque '' is a Tanzanian, Bermudian, Mohawk, 2Spirit, empowerment movement storyteller of Trans experience. An abolitionist, and Black Renaissance Artivist. Her work is rooted in Black liberation and Indigenous Resurgence. She has a vision to create work/art/conversations that open minds, expand truths and deepen intellectual commitments into lived practices.  Her commitment is to elevate the level of our collective global humanity.  Ravyn is a co-founder of ILL NANA/DiverseCity Dance Company. A Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Canada, A steering committee member of Black Lives Matter Toronto, and Co-Curator of The Wildseed Black Arts Fellowship.

Jackie Brown Photography

Register For Dance As Healing

 

Group Counselling Programs

We are pleased to offer a selection of arts-based group counselling programs as a part of Heartwork! Join us in May for the free counselling programs outlined below:

Healing Is... (Writing Workshop)
Wednesday May 5 | 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
This is a stream of consciousness workshop. What that means is allowing your emotions to take the driver's seat in order to capture your natural flow of thought processes on paper. Leave second guessing at the door and allow the pen (or pencil) to be your guide. 

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 KINTSUGI: The Art of Repair
Tuesday May 18 | 1:00 -2:30 p.m.
Kintsugi translates to golden joinery, it is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery lacquer resin dusted or mixed with powdered gold (or yellow/gold paint). We will be exploring how this practice relates to trauma healing and how feeling broken is the key to becoming whole again. Please provide your address with registration and remember to bring the pottery with you to the workshop.

register for group counselling NOW!

Questions? Contact Us!

For general questions about our Heartwork program, please contact Laura Hill, Development and Communications Coordinator at donations@sascwr.org, or call 519-571-0121 ext. 112.