100% of the proceeds of UOAWL merch sales will go to Elizabeth Fry — “that’s great!” you might think, “but, what’s Elizabeth Fry?”
The Elizabeth Fry Society is a feminist organization that provides support to women and hopes to contribute to an inclusive and just community in which all women live with equality and dignity. E Fry advocates for, empowers, and supports women who are vulnerable, marginalized or criminalized. Their goal is to reduce harm and oppression and contribute to a healthy community.
E Fry offers several different programs and services to meet this goal, including: residential programs for women on bail or transitioning back into the community, housing support services, and court support including an accompaniment services and a diversion program. One specific example of a program that E Fry runs to help women in need is Diana’s Place.
Diana’s Place Child and Family Centre is a community-based program that aims to give non-custodial mothers and their children a home-like setting in which to reunite, build relationships, promote attachment and healthy behaviours, and help strengthen community reintegration.
Apart from their longstanding programs and services, E Fry also offers need-based or seasonal programs.
The holiday season can be especially difficult for incarcerated women. While many of us have the opportunity and good fortune to wake up to family, festive meals, and thoughtful gifts on Christmas morning, incarcerated women wake up separated from their families and society and, due to a lower number of staff, they only receive two meals instead of three on holidays. Through community donations, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia ensured that all incarcerated women in the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility woke up to a present on Christmas morning. These gifts were self-care products, such as body wash, shampoo, or colouring books –small gifts that go a long way in reminding these women that others do care.
E Fry, like many other community organizations, has seen a significant drop in donations throughout the pandemic. 100% of donations to E Fry go directly to client support and services; none of it goes towards administrative costs or overhead. Even still, the pandemic hit may result in fewer ways to help incarcerated women.
The pandemic has brought difficulties to many community organizations that aim to better living conditions for some of our most vulnerable populations. While things seem to be looking up, the financial impact of the pandemic is likely to be long-lasting. Our goal is to help support our community in any way we can, and that’s why we’ve chosen to donate 100% of the proceeds of UOAWL merch sales to E Fry.
University of Ottawa Association of Women and the Law 