Algonquin College Public Relations students launch Speak!Up Ottawa campaign
July 12, 2019
The students gathered in the Nawapon room Friday to announce a campaign to raise $15,000 for the city’s oldest and largest shelter for women and their dependents. Entitled Speak!Up Ottawa, the campaign aims to raise money with five events – from an art auction featuring the work of local artists and a sports-themed trivia night to an evening of arcade games with food-and-drink specials, a live entertainment “fiesta,” and an open-mic night. Details of the events are available here.
Interval House Ottawa is a local non-profit organization that provides a safe shelter to women and their dependents – pets included – who are living or have lived in an abusive relationship. Establish in 1976, it provides services such as a 24/7 crisis line – more than 2,000 calls a year – along with counselling sessions for women, youth, and children.
“As a class, we felt an immediate connection to this cause, and a duty to do all we could to help make a positive change,” Roshnee Mitchell, the executive director of the campaign, said in explaining the students’ selection of Interval House as their charity of choice.
Besides raising money, the Speak!Up Ottawa campaign also wants to raise awareness and “create a conversation about domestic violence and abuse,” she said.
Sammy Cisek, Interval House’s community engagement worker, echoed that theme in expressing appreciation for the students’ efforts. “We are so honoured to have been selected as this year’s charity by the Algonquin College Public Relations Students,” she said. “The conversations sparked and the awareness gained are absolutely critical to the issue of violence against women.”
Cisek pointed out that Interval House provides shelter and support to more than 80 women and 150 dependents each year. It also provides shelter to abused family pets the women bring with them. The money the students raise will help ensure Interval House continues to help women and children victimized by domestic violence, she said.
The campaign also received an endorsement from the Ottawa Police Service. Det. Alex Kirady explained that the 20 investigators who handle domestic violence cases deal with about 300 cases a year. “It’s a very, very busy unit,” he said, observing that domestic violence is “under-reported.” And even when victims do finally come forward, he said, it is rarely the first incident of violence they’ve endured.
Nepean MP Chandra Arya was also on hand to applaud the Speak!Up campaign. “I wish we had a society where there was no need for an organization (Interval House) like yours,” he said.
Each semester, a class of Algonquin College Public Relations students have the opportunity to run a fundraising program on behalf of a local charity of their choice. They have been doing this since 1988. Over the years, students have raised nearly $425,000 for 34 charities.
Public Relations Program Coordinator Bradley Moseley-Williams pointed out that these campaigns – “everything from the brand and the idea” – are initiated and conducted by the students.