continued from p.21 Women's Centre is looking ahead OAKVILLE'S NEWEST Breaking barriers is something we've been really focusing on, in terms of recognizing the piece that moms are often the primary caregiver of their children, which prevents the moms from accessing groups. So we've been looking at partnerships with other agencies, where we can provide childcare services. The Women's Centre of Halton executive director 23 | Thursday, November 3, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The Centre has expanded its hours and is now open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays from 6-8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-noon (September to June). In addition, Barragan said the centre is working to be more accessible across Halton and to those who may have difficulty going to the Oakville location. In May, it launched its self-esteem program in Burlington at Holy Rosary School and has plans to expand programming to North Halton. "Breaking barriers is something we've been really focusing on, in terms of recognizing the piece that moms are often the primary caregiver of their children, which prevents the moms from accessing groups. So we've been looking at partnerships with other agencies, where we can provide childcare services," said Barragan. Working with others in community "We recently received a wonderful donation from the Oakville Parent-Child Centre to help us to put together a children's corner for when moms come in for drop-in counselling." The centre has also been actively building community partnerships with other agencies, including SAVIS of Halton (Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Services) in the areas of resources and fundraising. "I really feel we're only as strong as our community is, so we have to be able to partner to be even stronger, to have the same goal and RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Martha Barragan ultimately have a stronger community," said Barragan. "I believe when we build women up, we build families up and ultimately we build communities up so I'd like to see all other agencies that have that vision to be able to come alongside one another and work for the common goal." Barragan noted how supportive the community has been over the centre's 27 years. She hopes it continues as she looks to future challenges, including renovating space to accommodate more services at its centre and increased training for staff related to mental health issues faced by women. For more information on the Women's Centre of Halton, visit www.haltonwomenscentre.org. CONSTRUCTION HAS STARTED! Nestled in the popular and growing residential area of Bronte Creek, Chartwell's newest Halton location is a modern five-storey retirement residence featuring 128 spacious, bright suites. The residence offers a range of unique amenities on-site: · a warm and inviting bistro · high-end demonstration kitchen · full-service dog wash · family-friendly Grandkids zone · beautifully landscaped courtyard and walking trail · dedicated Memory Care neighbourhood CALL 289-644-2951 TODAY TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. CALL 289-644-2951 TODAY TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. PRESENTATION CENTRE Westoak Trails Plaza 2983 Westoak Trails Blvd., Oakville