There are three opportunities this month to show support for women who are trying to rebuild their lives after leaving domestic abuse.

Four-year old Lulu Manahan holds a Rowan House Emergency Shelter gift tag at Tribal Connections, where her mom, Vanessa Pressacco works. The tags are a Christmas campaign to encourage foothills residents to buy gift cards for gas, groceries or clothing, for example, and drop them off at participating stores and libraries. photo by Tamara Neely

Tonight (Wednesday) residents of Heritage Pointe are collecting goods to donate to the Rowan House Emergency Shelter and they welcome all to stop in, drop off something — a can of food, a gift card for gas, a gift for a teenager, for example — have a cup of apple cider and enjoy a visit with the community.

The community group is rallying to support the Rowan House because they feel it is providing a much-needed service in the foothills.

“It’s really important to help women and children — to provide them with a happy and safe home,” said Anita Tompkins, a coordinator of the drive.

This is the second year the community has come together to provide women and children with the things they need to get settled in a new home after living at the shelter.

“We’re accepting anything that you think a family would need after a 21-day stay in the emergency shelter. They have to go out on their own after the stay, so they need food and certain things to set their new homes up with,” said Tompkins.

The Rowan House support team has developed a wish list of items families need when they get settled in a new home: sheets, comforters and pillows; household items such as laundry detergent and dish soap; and gift cards for gas, groceries and other local products or services.

This year the Rowan House launched a campaign to encourage foothills residents to donate gift cards. Shelter director Sherrie Botten said they have found gift cards are beneficial because they are a way for women to get the essentials they need such as groceries and gas.

The gift card campaign has various stores and libraries across the foothills involved. People interested in supporting women escaping domestic violence can pick up a gift tag at a participating location such as the Okotoks Public Library and the tag lists what kind of gift card to purchase. Once the gift card has been purchased it can then be dropped off at the participating location. Participating locations include the libraries in Okotoks, Black Diamond and High River, as well as Route 40 Soup Company in Turner Valley and Broken Stone Coffee and Wine Bistro and Tribal Connections in downtown Okotoks.

Vanessa Pressacco, who works at Tribal Connections, said supporting the Rowan House through the gift card campaign is a good way to help because the women escaping abuse with their children are in a vulnerable position and need any help they can get.

“As a woman going through a divorce, I know how scary it is to be alone. Even in an amicable circumstance it’s hard, so I can’t imagine how hard it would be if you’re fearful and no one is around to help you,” said Pressacco. “So it’s important to have support.”

The Christmas gift card campaign is on right now. Representatives from Rowan House will be picking up the donated gift cards from the participating libraries and stores and delivering them to the women in need.

Another opportunity to support the Rowan House is to head to the High River United Church on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. for an uplifting concert of music by Calgary’s Corpus Christi Male Chorale.

Corpus Christi Male Chorale will fill the arching ceiling of the high River United Church with the heavenly sound of spiritual and secular music on Dec. 13 to support the Rowan House Emergency Shelter. In addition, the Heritage Pointe community is accepting food, gift cards and household items tonight (Wednesday) at the Heritage Pointe Beach House.

The concert will feature spiritual and secular music by the 32-member choir and admission is by donation.

Michelle Wheatley-Brown, music director for the church, said the choir drew in large crowds at their annual Christmas performance at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, a concert in support of the Mustard Seed.

“People love them. You don’t often hear men all together — it’s a four-part choir and it’s a unique sound,” said Wheatley-Brown.

The structure of the church will showcase the choir’s unique sound, Wheatley-Brown said, because it was built with prime acoustics in mind.

“The acoustics are incredible,” said Wheatley-Brown. “We had the Spiritus Choir from Calgary sing last spring and the sound was just amazing. You get tingles. It’s the sort of sound that can send shivers down your spine.”

Every seat in the house is a good one, she added, because the church was built in such a way the sound surrounds you from every pew.

Refreshments will be available and proceeds from the event will be donated to the Rowan House.

“We consider it to be a very important part of our community to support a facility like that,” said Wheatley-Brown.

The High River United Church is located at 123 Macleod Trail, High River.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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