We want to give you a heads up about a new podcast being created by youth in Lunenburg County through the YMCA! It's called Connective Perspectives: A Youth's Point of View, and it gives youth the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas on a variety of topics and connect their perspectives to those of adults. There will be six episodes tackling topics such as consent, teen dating and peer violence - all chosen by the youth involved in the project.

Check out Connective Perspectives season one episodes as they are released over the next few weeks, and stay tuned for a second season which is currently underway!​

​Second Story Women’s Centre has rented a location at 18 Dufferin St from the town of Lunenburg for the past 9 years. This lovely old building once served as the town’s train (and police) station – and for us, provided a home with safe and welcoming spaces, including reception and kitchen areas, 7+ counselling or admin offices, as well as open areas for community connectiveness, youth activities, and development/wellness programming.
 
The town has recently provided us with advanced notice that this site has been identified for potential future sale. This news has prompted us to consider our long-term planning goals, including evaluating our needs for space, programming, and accessibility.
 
We are now in the early stages of considering our options; however, we would be interested in hearing from anyone that may be aware of potential location(s) in Lunenburg or Queens County that might “fit” the activities (and limited budget) of our small non-profit.
 
For further information or to discuss a potential location, please leave your contact information with Second Story Women’s Centre at 902-640-3044 and we will be in touch.

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: Child Abuse

We recently had a question at the Centre about what you should do if a minor discloses to you that they are experiencing abuse. This is a great question, because in Nova Scotia we actually have legislation that outlines what you should do, and in some cases, what you are legally obligated to do.

Under the Children and Family Services act, "Every individual in the province of Nova Scotia has a legal obligation to report concerns of abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 19 in order to ensure children are protected from harm. Failure to report is a criminal offence." This includes instances where information has been shared confidentially, or if abuse is suspected but has not been confirmed by a disclosure. Reports can be made anonymously. 

Our friends at TESS (Trafficking and Exploitation Services System) have helpfully broken it down a bit further on their website, which we recommend you read here.

What constitutes abuse? The NS Family Law website says "Child abuse is a term that describes behaviour that results in significant negative emotional or physical consequences for a child." Abuse can take several forms including physical ("the intentional use of force on any part of a child's body that results in injury"), emotional ("anything that causes serious mental or emotional harm to a child, which the parent does not attempt to prevent or address"), sexual ("the improper exposure of a child to sexual contact, activity or behaviour") and neglect ("any lack of care that may cause significant harm to a child's development or endangers the child in any way").

Who do you report to? Child Protection Services. Call 1-877-424-1177 (weekdays, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm) or 1-866-922-2434 (weeknights 4:30 pm - 8:30 am, weekends and holidays)

What happens after you call? Child Protection Services will assess the information you provide and decide whether or not to investigate.

We wanted to share some LGBTQ+ resources that we have appreciated during Pride Month!​

• Moving Beyond the Binary: a Guide on How to Make Your Organization Meaningfully Inclusive of Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse People - From the Legal Information Society of NS. "This guide is intended for any employer, service provider, business, or other organization in Nova Scotia. The purpose of the guide is to help you understand the needs and experiences of gender diverse populations, what the law says about gender identity and expression, and the importance and value of fostering meaningful and authentic inclusion of two-spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people across our province." It includes gender inclusion policy templates, videos, pronoun charts, a portrait gallery and so much more - you can even book a free 2-hour workshop! Check it out!

Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual AGM last night, and to Lisa Ryan of South Shore Open Doors Association for speaking.

We'd like to welcome Kathy Saville, Pauline Savory, Elizabeth Durnford and Deborah Summers to the SSWC board!