24-Hour Crisis and Support Line
If you are experiencing violence or abuse in your relationship, our crisis counsellors are available to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone/text at 519-752-HELP (519-752-4357) or through our online chat service. Our staff know that reaching out for help is a difficult first step and we are here to listen to your concerns, help you to create a safety plan, discuss which services would best meet your needs, and support your decisions.
To access our crisis counsellors via TTY 519-752-2403
We also provide support to family and friends, however our services are confidential and voluntary so we will not be able to discuss specific client information. We can however provide you with helpful tips and resources on how to be a good support system for your family or friend.
For more information or to connect to this program:
Call/Text 519-752-4357
TTY 519-752-2403
Online Chat Service click here
Emergency Shelter
Our residential shelter is a 33 bed emergency shelter with 18 bedrooms for women* and children who have experienced abuse or homelessness. Two of these bedrooms are fully accessible. The shelter is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing a safe haven, meals, support, information, case management, and referrals to other community resources. For safety purposes, the shelter has security cameras and an alarm system throughout the building.
Staying at Nova Vita will give you an opportunity to think about your situation and hopefully reach some decisions as to what you want to do next. We will help to explain your options and support your choices, with safety as the priority.
We will provide beds, cribs, bedding, toiletries, diapers, emergency clothing, and access to laundry facilities. Families have their own bedrooms but may have to share a bathroom. Residents of Nova Vita will have access to 3 meals a day as well as snacks. Staff are on duty in the shelter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you think that staying in our emergency shelter is right for you, a Nova Vita shelter worker will meet with you for an assessment of service. In this meeting, the shelter worker will discuss safety planning, options available to you, and provide you with resources and referrals. If there is space available in our emergency shelter, the shelter worker will complete an intake with you, provide you with a tour, explain the shelter rules and guidelines, and assist you with settling into your room.
Nova Vita is a temporary communal living environment, with many different people and families under one roof. At times this can be challenging, so we do have house rules and guidelines to follow to ensure that your time with us runs as smoothly as possible for you and your children.
We believe that every person is entitled to a life without violence. Most of the people who come to stay in our residential program have left situations which have been abusive, threatening, or unsafe. Therefore, we have a strict no-violence policy towards other residents, children, staff, volunteers, and/or visitors which includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats of violence, emotional abuse, or verbal abuse. We want Nova Vita to be a place where everyone feels safe and secure. A place where individuals can heal and recover as well as work on their transition plans as they move on from Nova Vita.
For more information or to connect to this program:
Call/Text 519-752-4357
TTY 519-752-2403
Online Chat Service click here
*women includes: transwomen, non-binary individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, gender-fluid individuals, and cis-women
Shelter Gallery
Case Management
While you stay at Nova Vita, shelter workers will continue to safety plan with you and your children, help connect you to community resources for housing and financial supports, provide you with information on your legal rights, and support you in connecting with any cultural or community resources. You will also have an opportunity to talk about your situation, to learn about the impacts of what has happened to you, and to learn about healing and coping strategies. If you have children, our Children’s Program team will meet with you to discuss the best supports for you and children. Your stay at Nova Vita can give you time to safely sort out your feelings and plan your next steps. Shelter workers will help you with your transition from Nova Vita and back into the community or the community of your choice.
Safety Planning
If you have experienced abuse in your relationship, developing a safety plan can be a helpful tool to increase your safety and the safety of your children. A safety plan is a personalized plan of action that can prepare you if your partner becomes violent towards you or your children, whether you are still in the relationship or you have left. Shelter workers can help you to create your own individualized safety plan for you and your children.
For more info on safety planning: Click here
Call/Text 519-752-4357
TTY 519-752-2403
Online Chat click here