Happy birthday Peggy’s Place!
This May we celebrated the 25th anniversary of opening one of our first housing sites. A huge milestone!
Peggy’s Place is a transition home designed to meet the needs of women suffering from mental illness, who have also experienced domestic violence, homelessness and/or substance abuse. When it opened in 1997, it was the first of its kind in all of Canada.
“Each woman comes in with her own individual goals. Our role is to help her believe in herself, to feel empowered that she CAN actually reach those goals.”
- Mental Health Worker at Peggy’s Place
Today, Peggy’s Place provides refuge and recovery for complex care cases helping our members thrive in an independent life. Residents are supported by a team of professionals and services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Many of our residents have little or no sense of self-worth when they first arrive at Peggy’s. Many have never experienced basic things like privacy and a safe place to keep their belongings. Peggy’s provides that. For some, it is the first place they have lived where they feel safe and secure.
There’s so much more to Peggy’s place than being a safe shelter that serves nutritious meals. There are recovery programs at Peggy’s, tailored for each individual. Our team is working hard to equip each member with the emotional and life skills needed for independent living.
“The women really count. We’re here for them. We want them to see that they are more than just their past. That they are worth being loved and cared about.”
Peggy Ingram Mitchell was a strong natural community healer and advocate.
In 1958, at the age of 55, she began to foster children on an emergency basis. Peggy provided transitional support for children and teens who had been sexually assaulted and traumatized.
The Kettle decided to honor her legacy by naming the first transitional house for women experiencing both mental health issues and domestic violence, after her.
She is pictured here with her beloved husband Forest Mitchel, and the memory of the two of them is very much alive in our hearts.
Unlike most safe houses that limit the length of stay, residents of Peggy’s Place can remain in the program for six months to one year. If needed, sometimes even longer. This extra time is crucial in enabling residents to achieve greater stability and wellness in their lives.
As a result, we are proud to say that the outcomes we’ve experienced over the last two decades are beyond inspiring.
Women experience respect, inclusion, and equitable access to services, while working on improving their physical and mental health. They develop the skills and confidence that will allow them to overcome challenges they encounter in their lives.
And best of all, most of our residents maintain a stable, independent life and housing after they leave Peggy’s, and that fills us with pride!