Harmony House

The only second-stage women's shelter in Ottawa, Ontario

Testimonials

Testimonial 1

Testimonial 2

Testimonial 3

Testimonial 1

Harmony House has and continues to be a solid support system. They are a compassionate and empathetic sounding board for me. 

They offer me a safe and healthy environment to live in. They respect me, and give me the space to heal and explore new freedom. They offer me a smile and kind words from their soul when I am having a hard day. 

They connect me with groups at Harmony House, and in the community. They offer me food from food bank.

They connect me with experiences I never had, like going to the Harmony Gala, self-defense class and going to the movies with girls and counselors from Harmony. 

They believe in my voice as a leader and as a woman that has experienced extreme trauma in my life.

They help me with housing and offer support to go see the places I picked for the Registry. They are helping me with taking small steps of independence to live on my own a year from now.

They support and encourage me to continue my creativity with my art and poetry. They help me sets plans to ensure my safety and health with the people, places and things that I choose to benefit my well being.

They are the Golden Bridge of opportunity for me. They have helped me with the internal me mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally.

-- written by a resident of Harmony House, winter 2009

Testimonial 2

I’m a current resident of Harmony House. I was a resident of a first stage shelter before.  It is only when I came to Harmony House that I realized that life could be different and better.

It is not easy to change especially when you lived your whole life understanding one way of living and always saying, “It’s family. This is life, you have to live up to everybody’s expectation in the family, be a certain way, eat a certain way, sacrifice a lot for family, and honestly believing that you’re good and this is as good as it gets. There’s no other way to live.”

It’s only through women’s programs that us women can move on in life. Programs held at Harmony House help us learn how to take care of ourselves and how to cope and adapt to a new life. These programs help us look inside ourselves to find out who we are and what can we contribute to society as we change and evolve we become more independent and therefore people around us change and evolve and then society changes and that is what we want.

Us women are power, but it’s only with the help of women’s programs that this power comes to light. The more programs the better. The more specific the programs are the better and bigger the results are.
Funding these programs is not a waste of time. Take it from a not complete survivor, but someone who’s on her way there. Trust me when I say us women need these programs and want them and honestly appreciate your help.

-- written by a resident of Harmony House, winter 2009

Testimonial 3

Thank You Harmony House!!!

Thank you for...

• Giving me “Shelter From The Storm”;
• Taking me by the hand when I didn’t know which way to go;
• Feeding me when I was hungry;
• Lifting my spirits when they were down;
• Having me take your wonderful and informative workshops;
• Teaching me that I am and always have been special;
• Giving me a shoulder to cry on when I was down;
• The welcoming smile I have always (and still do!) received;
• The jokes, the good natured teasing and being able to laugh at myself;
• The hugs, the kisses and all the joy I can handle.

I have made a vow in front of multiple witnesses and I now re-affirm that: should I win a big lottery jackpot, I will donate half of my winnings to Harmony House so that more people such as I can and will benefit by the staff and the board members of Harmony House.
Ladies, I salute each and every one of you.  Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

-- written by Ziva, an ex-resident of Harmony House, winter 2009