Emily Murphy Centre

Stratford, Ontario

A 3-year-old girl, playing in a huge playroom, was asked about her favourite part of the room. This playroom was brightly coloured and filled with books, games, paint, dress-up clothes and all sorts of toys. She was quiet for a few minutes. And then she walked to the door and pointed to the lock. “Nobody can come in,” she said. Her favourite part of this vibrant, cheery, fun place to play was that it was safe. She lived at the Emily Murphy Centre with her mother after escaping the violence at home. Thanks to generous donors, the centre has been keeping women and children safe from violence for 32 years. Today, staff members give back to donors with promotional wine tumblers they received, thanks to a 4imprint® one by one® grant. Offering practical and emotional support The Emily Murphy Centre is a transitional home between emergency crisis shelters (which typically allow only eight-week stays) and a permanent home. The centre consists of 20 apartment buildings that each house 20 women—and sometimes up to 50 children. Women who stay there have access to individual counseling, get help navigating the legal system, and receive tangible support with clothing, food and furniture assistance. The women who come to The Emily Murphy Centre get their own independent apartment—bathroom, bedroom, living room and kitchen included. They’re able to rest easy at night, knowing they and their kids are safe. The centre’s staff also supports the families in many ways—from putting milk on the table to working through family court. A more impactful way to give back Three women holding promotional wine tumblers.As a transitional home, The Emily Murphy Centre works to get women into permanent, stable housing as fast as possible. Up until recently, women would stay at The Emily Murphy Centre for a year. However, with lockdowns from COVID-19 and a shortage of affordable housing, women are now staying for as long as three to four years. Based on their income, the women pay what they can afford. The rest is subsidized through funding. Donors make The Emily Murphy Centre’s work possible. Staff searched for a way to give back; however, as a nonprofit, it’s sometimes hard to afford more significant gifts. And that’s why the staff was so excited when they received the 4imprint one by one grant. “We have such faithful, generous donors that it’s nice once in a while to give them something that’s impactful and meaningful. I ordered promotional wine tumblers because they can be used for any beverage, and they’re pretty popular right now. Under normal circumstances, we couldn’t financially provide those to our donors, so we’re thrilled to be able to now,” Executive Director Lisa Wilde said.

For more information about Emily Murphy Centre, please visit https://emilymurphycentre.com/ opens in new window