This document discusses the history and impact of Yellow Brick House, a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence. It describes how Yellow Brick House was founded in the late 1970s by concerned citizens who wanted to do more to help women in abusive situations. They opened their doors in a yellow brick house that had previously been a clinic providing care to the community. The document shares stories from current volunteers, donors, counselors, and residents about the lifesaving support and services Yellow Brick House continues to provide through safe housing, counseling, and empowering women and children to break cycles of violence.

1. [yellow brick house
G R AT I T U D E R E P O RT 2 014 –2 015 [

3. “I need a safe place to go. For me and the kids.” A social
worker could see the fear and panic in the eyes of the mother
sitting across from her, and her heart sank knowing there was
nothing she could say.
“You know I’ve been here to have some cuts and bruises
taken care of. But I never thought I’d be here with a broken
arm. Can you help me? Please?” A nurse hated that she could
only treat the wounds and not the problem.
“It’s been even harder since he’s been out of work. He’s so
angry at home. Like a thundercloud or a volcano about to
explode. I don’t know what to do.” The woman began to sob,
and all her case worker could do was pass her a box of tissues.
“What can I do to keep me and the kids safe?” The Probation
Officer was seeing too much of this. Women who know their
husbands are violent and dangerous, but who have nowhere
to turn.
“Even if I can get the money and the courage to leave, where
are we supposed to stay?” The man knew from years in social
work that getting the money and courage to leave was almost
impossible. And that finding a safe place to stay was totally
impossible.
[Our story may have begun
in whispers.
1,001women receive
individual counselling
You helped
[

4. [In late 1978 and early 1979, a group of concerned citizens
started sharing their stories. At meetings and in the community
they would murmur in agreement, “it’s so frustrating to see
this over and over, we’ve got to be able to do more.”
And the idea of Yellow Brick House was born. Frustration turned
to hope and determination. They met at each other’s kitchen
tables, hungry for change and insisting on collaborative action.
They found a house and opened their doors. A few short years
later, just when they needed to find a new home, a small yellow
brick house went up for sale in the community.
Dr. Crawford Rose was a family doctor in the 1950s and 60s.
His clinic was attached to his home, a simple brick house.
Neighbours knew they could knock on the clinic door—or the
front door—to receive help and support. Seeing a police car in
the driveway was not a cause for concern, but rather recognition
that Dr. Rose was seeing any patient that needed him.
Years later, Dr. Rose’s son bought the family home and painted
it yellow. He and his wife raised their children there. When they
heard about Yellow Brick House’s need, they were delighted
to sell their home to make sure their yellow brick house would
continue to be a place of caring, hope and love.
From a murmur
to a rallying cry.

5. Imagine being there in the 24 hours before we opened our
doors to women and children in crisis. Passionate and dedicated
friends and neighbours joined together to paint, clean and
gather together furniture, appliances, books, toys, clothes and
whatever they could to make this old yellow brick house a home.
And while you and I may not have been there in those
24 hours before the doors opened, we are here today, holding
and nurturing those same values, and keeping that same spirit
alive at Yellow Brick House.
We cherish the gifts of every single one of our amazing
supporters, and we know that you share the same core values
upon which we were founded and still operate to this day:
values of equality, justice, safety, and compassion.
[24 hours before
our doors opened...
[7,381youth and community
members have been empowered by
our public education program

7. Todd, Volunteer
“I have an intensely emotional 20+ year connection
to the Yellow Brick House. It crushes me to think of
the women and children who are terrorized in their
homes — often by people whom they trust and love.
As a father and a spouse, I cannot understand being
violent or abusive toward those you love. For
as long as there is a need, I’ll do whatever I can
to help. I try using my training as a lawyer to help
women craft ‘exit plans’, providing comfort and
support as they navigate the complex legal system.
Yellow Brick House is a place of great compassion,
support and professionalism. I am proud and
privileged to work along side other volunteers, staff
and donors, where we all help create a safe haven for
women and children suffering from domestic violence
and other forms of abuse. I believe that every home
should be a safe place. So long as there continues
being violence against women and children, I will try
being there for those who need me.”
Elizabeth, Donor
“I am truly blessed to have great neighbours and
live in this terrific community. York Region is a place
where we take care of each other, help each other
and work together to build the best possible future
for our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
And my heart aches to think about women and
children who witness abuse in their homes. It’s an
ugly reality that over our fences and down our halls
there are women and children in crisis. So I give
what I can to Yellow Brick House because I know
that they will use my donation to help women and
children heal and get back on their feet after being
knocked down. I may not be able to give as much as
I would like, but I know my gift makes a difference
and that every donation helps. Yellow Brick House
also inspires me to talk to my friends and neighbours
about how they can help, too. After all, this is very
much in our own back yards.”
You can see how our shared values are in action every day, through our community of supporters. Here
are some stories from just a few friends of Yellow Brick House. Sharing these stories with you is a way to
acknowledge and celebrate everything that we’ve achieved together, because after all, it is our people—
people like you—who continue to make our Yellow Brick House a place for healing and hope.
[Stories from today’s
Yellow Brick House.
Todd, Volunteer
“I have an intensely emotional 20+ year connection
to the Yellow Brick House. It crushes me to think of
the women and children who are terrorized in their
homes — often by people whom they trust and love.
As a father and a spouse, I cannot understand being
violent or abusive toward those you love. For
as long as there is a need, I’ll do whatever I can
to help. I try using my training as a lawyer to help
women craft ‘exit plans’, providing comfort and
support as they navigate the complex legal system.
Yellow Brick House is a place of great compassion,
support and professionalism. I am proud and
privileged to work along side other volunteers, staff
and donors, where we all help create a safe haven for
women and children suffering from domestic violence
and other forms of abuse. I believe that every home
should be a safe place. So long as there continues
being violence against women and children, I will try
being there for those who need me.”
Elizabeth, Donor
“I am truly blessed to have great neighbours and
live in this terrific community. York Region is a place
where we take care of each other, help each other
and work together to build the best possible future
for our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
And my heart aches to think about women and
children who witness abuse in their homes. It’s an
ugly reality that over our fences and down our halls
there are women and children in crisis. So I give
what I can to Yellow Brick House because I know
that they will use my donation to help women and
children heal and get back on their feet after being
knocked down. I may not be able to give as much as
I would like, but I know my gift makes a difference
and that every donation helps. Yellow Brick House
also inspires me to talk to my friends and neighbours
about how they can help, too. After all, this is very
much in our own back yards.”
You can see how our shared values are in action every day, through our community of supporters. Here
are some stories from just a few friends of Yellow Brick House. Sharing these stories with you is a way to
acknowledge and celebrate everything that we’ve achieved together, because after all, it is our people—
people like you—who continue to make our Yellow Brick House a place for healing and hope.
[Stories from today’s
Yellow Brick House.

9. Lily, Counsellor
A very wise 6-year-old once told me “I’m a kid…
but I can do things!” This reminds me of the
ways we can all make change, effect change, and
demand change. As a counsellor at Yellow Brick
House, I’ve been honoured to witness the inner
resources and strengths children possess to get
through difficult things. I am consistently blown
away and inspired by the transformations I’ve
seen when children’s strengths are acknowledged
and built upon, when they are empowered to
develop their thoughts, feelings, and voices, and
when they come to understand their right to live
without violence and the positive choices available
to them. When trust is built, children share stories
of deep hurt, helplessness, confusion, worry and
fear. But in these stories, we learn of their immense
strength, hope, knowledge and courage in coping
and persevering. My job, as I see it, is to help
strengthen a child’s understanding of this part of
their experience as they work through what has
happened: to build their sense of self; to give voice
to their wonderful uniqueness and speaking out
against hurtful acts and damaging messages; and
to grow their sense of choice, strategies for safety,
and capacity to break the cycle of violence.
Maya, Resident
For the first time, I did not feel alone. I had the
shelter workers to share every obstacle and triumph.
They were there to listen to me and help me sort
and prioritize, even late into the night when fear
would overtake my sleep. Through their loving
support and care, I was able to regain a sense of
self-worth and empowerment. For me, the gratitude
goes beyond the residency, to the volunteers and
the strangers who support Yellow Brick House. I am
happy and at peace with my life. When I look back
to the day I fled and the heaviness of my heart
thinking about my children’s future, I am in awe.
I will never forget how I got where I am today.
67 women and
87 children participated in
our Let’s Talk child witness
program thanks to you[

10. 9,436 volunteer hours made
these accomplishments possible
1,925caring individuals like you made kind and generous gifts to help
women and children in our community. Thank you!
273 residents
completed our When
Love Hurts program
Here’s what else YOUR support
helped accomplish this year:
6,052 women &
children served
AND
1,515women used our
legal support program[
156children received specialized children’s
counselling. 430women accessed our transitional
counselling services[
266 Women sheltered
152 Children sheltered
124 Women could not get a shelter bed
when needed
144 Children could not get a shelter bed
when needed
3,379crisis calls answered[

11. Thank you for entrusting us with your gift. We promise you transparency and accountability in how
we spend the gifts you share with the women and children in our care. We invite you to contact us
anytime if you have questions about your gifts in action. Here’s how we raise and spend our funds.
Revenue
Provincial 64%
York Region 1%
Non Gov Grants 8%
Fundraising 25%
Other 2%
Our 2014 Finances
[
Expenses
Admin/Fundraising 9%
Shelter 42%
Transitional Housing 12%
Outreach Services 31%
Public Education 6%
Over the years, a number of exceptional donors have remembered the life-saving work of Yellow Brick House
with a gift in their Will. If you would like information about leaving a legacy to the us, please call Pamela
at 905-709-0900 for a confidential discussion. Gifts of any size will make a huge difference. You’ll help
empower women and children, giving them the courage to change their lives for the better. Thank you!
Our Board of Directors are volunteers from here in
our community who devote their time and energy
to providing leadership to Yellow Brick House. We are
proud of their amazing commitment to our cause.
Thank you! Back row: Amanda Lee, Executive Director
Lorris Herenda, Julie Cober, Karl Koehn, Dylan Marando
Front row: Ralph Dunham, Chair Rehana Doobay, Mark
Hart, Lauren Bonnett, Dr. Laurel Douglas Shugarman.
Absent: Past Chair Norine Graham-Robinson

12. www.yellowbrickhouse.org
24 Hour Crisis Line: 1-800-263-3247 Administration: 905 709 0900
Twitter: @rebuildinglives Facebook: ybhrebuildinglives
Charitable registration number: 11910 5187 RR0001
Your donation, supporting Yellow Brick House, makes living violence free lives
a possibility for thousands of women and children in York Region.
An agency of the Government of Ontario
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario