Across the country, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical/ sexual intimate or non-partner violence. Fifteen percent of children witness intimate partner violence in the home. In 2020, 160 women were killed. On average, that is one woman or girl killed every 2.5 days.
SRWC Wellness Centre offers counselling and advocacy services for every stage of recovery, and continuing recovery for anyone living with addiction or other mental health issues. During the pandemic, SRWC has seen a significant increase in relationship violence due to social isolation, school and childcare closures, and unpredictable access to services.

An average of 10 impaired driving criminal charges and short-term licence suspensions were laid every hour in Canada in 2019, as shown in a new report from MADD Canada. The report shows:
• 86,964 total charges and short-term suspensions were laid;
• 232 charges and short-term suspensions were laid for every 100,000 Canadians; and an
• Average of 238 charges and short-term suspensions were laid, daily.
Stay safe this season:
• Never operate a car or any other vehicle while impaired;
• Never ride with a driver who is impaired;
• Call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers.

In the holiday season, we may have to spend more time with people we would prefer to avoid. They could be anyone from embarrassing co-workers to judgemental family members. Want to reduce your stress this season? When dealing with difficult people at a holiday gathering, try these tips:
• Excuse yourself and walk away.
• Smile and listen while breathing calmly to relax.
• Think positive things about yourself.
• Change the subject of the conversation.
• State your feelings in a non-aggressive way.
• Interact with someone else.
• Be empathetic and think about why the person is acting this way.
• Take the high road and remain tolerant, kind, and respectful.

SRWC is a small, local charity that depends on your donations. You can make a difference! Your HELP is vital to saving lives. Be a HERO today. Ways to donate:
Online: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/78266
Mail: 2nd floor, 225 Vaughan St. Winnipeg, MB, R3C 1T7
Phone: Candace at 204-956-6650 ext. 104

SRWC’s Family Program offers education, counseling and empowerment for families affected by addiction, such as partners, siblings, or adult-children. The Family Counsellor has also been helping people deal with more high-risk situations. “The quarantine has been particularly hard on parents with adult-children living at home. But, there is hope. We meet regularly to help find ways to connect with the positive people in their lives. We create a community that helps to keep everyone stable and sane. There is encouragement and hope in knowing you are not alone and can take back control of your life.” For more information about SRWC’s family program, visit https://srwc-mb.ca/portfolio/family-program/

The holiday season is upon us again. What a great time to find some joy, love, and peace. We hope you can spend time with loved ones, whether in person or from a distance. While we all have an eye on the gifts on the top of our list, we know the best gifts are the ones we give to others. Being able to help someone less fortunate may be as simple as helping a neighbour who is facing extra challenges this year. Let’s all do some random acts of kindness this season!

The holidays bring plenty of joy, but it can also be a stressful season for many. Focus on workplace wellness to help employees maintain healthy habits and mental health. Choose healthy options for holiday events and give gifts of wellness to employees this year i.e., onsite massages or stress management lunch and learns. Encourage employees to stay active by hosting onsite yoga classes. Support employee’s financial wellness with minimal budgets on events and partnering with local business for discounts and promotions. Be mindful of your decisions and the impacts it may have on your employees. Healthy & Happy New Year!

Roughly 16% of couples in Canada experience infertility. This number has doubled since the 1980s, Traditional Chinese Medicine can help to reverse these numbers. Some studies have found that acupuncture may help with things like sperm quality, motility and counts in men, and increased blood flow to the uterus, with an impact in their quality of their eggs and regulation of hormones in women. Acupuncture has been used as a protocol all over the world when couples going through IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment, as it may increase the number of follicles produced and studies showed that the patients who received acupuncture before and after IVF transfer increased significantly their outcomes.