Abuse victim shelter in Alberta, Canada
Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter (CWES), registered as the Fear Is Not Love Society, is a shelter for victims of domestic violence and abuse. Located in Calgary, Alberta, they provide victims with crisis support and prevention programs.
Established in 1974 in Calgary's Beltline area, the organization is one of the first non-profits in Canada. CWES started as part of a grassroots movement to assist abused women, and is now a full domestic violence service agency with programs that address crisis treatment, intervention, and the prevention of domestic violence.
Over 16,500 Calgarians seek support each year through one of the shelter's many programs. Counsellors respond to over 11,000 calls on the Family Violence Helpline.
Family Violence Crisis Support programs include: 24-hour Family Violence Helpline, crisis intervention and counselling (both in the shelter and in the community), secure shelter for women (individual and with children), individual and group counselling for up to a year, support accessing resources and services required to be safe, and counselling/therapy for children/youth. Prevention Programs: Men's Counselling Service provides counselling for abusive men, violence reduction programs for high school students and older women living in abusive relationships, court program and education programs for work places and Calgarians.
CWES is funded in part by Calgary and Area CFSA, the United Way of Canada, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), the City of Calgary, and the Alberta Mental Health Board. CWES also receives funding from individual and corporate donors. Money is distributed to cover educational costs, counseling, and extracurricular activities.
In 2022, the organization changed its name to FearIsNotLove, to emphasize that their programming had expanded a more diverse population.
Timeline.
Chronological history of the CWES: