Due to an escalating number of cases, the Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society (ADVAS) is asking for additional support from the public this fall, through its 1:1 campaign.
According to Connor Tapp, who works in fund development for ADVAS, the organization's caseload has nearly doubled in the last five years, to nearly 4,000 per year. He said ADVAS currently has 800 unfunded cases at the moment, and is looking for more than $60,000 to fund them.
“As a community grows and as social issues change, there will be an uptick in the number of cases any victims services agency will take on,” he said. “I also think we have a wonderful community in Airdrie, where people feel comfortable referring us. They’ve learned they can trust ADVAS.”
Established in 1992, ADVAS partners with community agencies and support services to provide referrals to victims of crime or tragedy, such as assault, domestic violence, or the sudden death of a loved one. The society provides assistance to the RCMP for both criminal and non-criminal files within Airdrie, Rocky View County, Crossfield and Beiseker, but faces a challenge in that government funding only covers its work related to criminal files – the non-criminal files are funded through fundraising efforts.
Running until Dec. 15, the 1:1 campaign asks for donations of $76 per individual. According to Tapp, that is the dollar amount that goes into providing critical support to one victim of crime or tragedy.
“We sat down, broke down the numbers ourselves, and then called in an external party to do an analysis of what ADVAS brings and delivers for the money,” Tapp said. “What we found was…we’re spending $76 per case, and that includes all the costs around our organization.”
ADVAS operates on a budget of roughly $300,000 a year, according to Patti Reid, the society's board chair.
“As our community has grown, so has the traumatic exposure to crime and tragedy for members of our community,” she said in a statement. “We are proud of the impact that our team can deliver for a small investment. It costs just $76 to provide critical support to one victim of crime or tragedy, and through this campaign, we are asking people to each support one victim, one woman, one man, one child who needs support today.”
With Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 28 – and Christmas on the horizon, Tapp said it is an appropriate time to support ADVAS.
“We’re really hoping to have a lot of support from the community by Giving Tuesday, and then leading into Christmas,” he said. “I think Christmas can be a really stressful time of the year. There’s a lot of trauma and stress that families go through and it can escalate certain situations.”
ADVAS will be approaching the all the municipalities it serves to request additional funding, Andrea Tattersall, acting executive director, told Airdrie City council when the organization requested one-time bridging grant of $40,000 be considered in the City's 2020 budget. However, a report from Airdrie administration pointed out this places the burden of financial responsibility on these municipalities, when providing funding to support victims of crime is a federal and provincial role.
“We would also like to ask for the City’s continued advocacy and support in asking the Minister to launch the much-needed review of program funding models,” Tattersall said. “We are not alone in our struggles, and we wish to find a solution for this issue.”
To donate to the 1:1 campaign, visit airdrievictimassistance.com and click on the donation tab at the top of the home page. Individuals can also email [email protected] for more information on the campaign, or follow ADVAS on Facebook for campaign updates.
- with files from Jessi Gowan
