PART II
So much has changed over the time Women’s Resources has existed. In her 25 years with the organization, Penny Chatson has seen that change up close. Appointed as Executive Director of WR in June 2025, she knows the evolution will continue as new challenges and opportunities arise.
Not that long ago, as many of us can remember, attitudes about intimate partner violence were vastly different. “There was this idea of, ‘You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.’ There was no real support for women when needed to leave an abusive situation. They often didn’t even have support from their sisters or mothers.” And while of course attitudes still aren’t ideal, “That’s all really shifted.”
There’s also been tremendous positive change in the relationships between WR and the community. “We used to be adversarial with the police and others. Now we work really closely together,” Penny says. “They’ve done their own training, and we sit around so many other community services tables that we know each other.” These days, she adds, if someone is hanging around the shelter, staff make a call and police arrive within minutes.
She’s noticed a change in WR’s community reputation, too. Instead of criticizing, “people defend us,” she says. “It’s a lot of word of mouth and work with community partners,” that results in people calling and saying, “My friend said you could help.”
Some of the changes around WR aren’t nearly so positive. The lack of affordable housing, the rise in people addicted to drugs and the crisis in mental health are taking an enormous toll in our community. “There are nowhere near enough services, and even if people with addictions and mental health concerns get into housing, there’s no support. So many people are just trying to survive.”
The women coming to the shelter increasingly lack important life skills such as the ability to cook nutritious, inexpensive meals. “We’re trying to teach people how to look in the cupboards and figure out how to make a meal that’s healthy and filling,” Penny says.
They’re also more likely to get help with paperwork and be accompanied to appointments. Thanks to those strong relationships with other agencies, it’s easier to connect women with the services they need.
Penny sees other areas where WR can improve its already excellent roster of programs and services. “I see us working with community partners to support men and boys who experience violence. If they were abused, they may become abusers. There’s a role for us to play in working through the violence they experienced as children.”
Although the shelter can accommodate comfort animals or seeing-eye dogs, she wants the shelter to become more pet-friendly, given how important pets can be to someone in a time of stress.
A consistent source of delight from past through present and into the future is Vicky’s Values. “I love going over there because it’s so wonderful. And it’s not just our own clients who can get reasonably priced stuff.” A small army of volunteers sorts and sells clothing, housewares, toys, books and more, raising an impressive amount of money for WR every year.
Taking over as leader of Women’s Resources, Penny is grateful for the years of work she and others have poured into building the relationships that have made the organization one of the most respected social agencies in Kawartha Lakes. “Everybody loves us!”
Read more about Penny’s background with Women’s Resources in Part I (click here) of this post.
By Nancy Payne
