  And so, just like that, another year is upon us. Whether with a bang or a whimper, 2020 rolled on in. The Christmas bounty and festivities done for another year, we look forward to a new start – a New Year that we hope is filled with the promise of greater things and a better life.
But many who have escaped domestic violence face a harsh reality. How do you actually move forward when you have to choose between paying bills or buying food? How do you access resources like the food bank when you have no transportation? How do you improve your qualifications or gain employment when you can’t afford the gas for the car or bus fare to attend school or work? How do you address any physical or mental health concerns when you don’t have the means to get to appointments, let alone cover the cost of medications or therapy? How do you save up a damage deposit or for a rainy day if you have no disposable income? Moving forward comes at a financial cost that many survivors of domestic violence simply cannot pay. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of our community, our donation room is usually well-stocked with everyday items that help our clients make ends meet. Things like clothing, toiletries, household products and non-perishable goods can indeed be a godsend. But what if a client wears extra small clothing and we only have medium or large? What if her child requires a special diet and we have dozens of cans of soup, but no fresh milk or produce? The sad truth is that even with a well-stocked donation room, many of our clients still struggle to provide for themselves and their children. As such, we encourage anyone interested in donating to Liberty Lane to consider the advantages of gift cards. Gift cards allow us to assist clients with basic needs that can’t be met through other means. Because of the wide variety available, they also make it possible for us to offer the types of assistance that are usually out of the question. How amazing would it be if we could give clients grocery cards to buy milk and produce, gas cards to help offset their transportation costs? Or if we could turn their dream of enjoying the odd leisure activity into a reality with a movie card, for example? Not to mention that gift cards are much easier for Liberty Lane staff to manage because they take minimal space to store and minimal time/effort to organize. As a small non-profit organization facing huge resource challenges, this makes a world of difference for us. It is wonderful to see the positive ripple effect that donations of all kinds can have on the families we serve. By helping to ease the weight of financial burdens, they put our clients in a better position to pay off bills, cover healthcare expenses, and even save for a damage deposit or a rainy day. This can do wonders for the self worth and wellbeing of not just our clients, but their children as well. With that said, the added advantages of gift cards make this kind of donation especially beneficial. Please know that we will always welcome and be incredibly grateful for ANY contribution to Liberty Lane! If you have everyday items in good condition that you are looking to re-home, we would love to hear from you. Our clients often rely upon our donation room, so it’s important to keep it stocked. However, if you are wondering what we could use most, our honest answer is that gift cards top the list by far. They can be any denomination (preferably up to a maximum of $25 per card) and any type (e.g. for grocery stores, gas stations, discount stores, leisure activities). If you have any questions or concerns about this post, please do not hesitate to contact our Executive Director at 451-2120 or llf.alyson@bellaliant.com. As always, everyone at Liberty Lane would like to extend a most sincere and heartfelt thank you to all the members of our community for your continued support! We wish you the very best in 2020!
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 Thank you so much to Tracey Underhill and Mary-Ellen Landry of Fredericton Hyundai for the load of goodies that were delivered via their Stuff a Palisade Campaign. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and that of everyone who donated to the Campaign.
Like everyone in Fredericton and across the province, the staff and volunteers at Liberty Lane are incredibly saddened by the four deaths that occurred on August 10th. These tragic deaths affect everyone in our city in some capacity. Liberty Lane has a connection to the family of Constable Sara Burns in that her husband, Steven, was one of the two key personalities in "Burns & Jones' Long Long Walk for Liberty Lane" earlier this summer. We at Liberty Lane consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have worked with Steven and our deepest condolences are with him and his family in this time of grief. The staff and volunteers at Liberty Lane extend our sympathies to all of the victims and their families.
This June, Brian Jones and Steven Burns are leading the way down the Trans-Canada Highway from Edmundston to Fredericton in a plan to raise $100,000 for Liberty Lane! Stay tuned for details about being part of the walk, and donating to the event. Visit our Facebook page to see the launch video!   There are many generous people in our community; and they've helped us raise $600,000 of our Capital Campaign goal, $900.000!
How can we top last year? On May 8th, you'll hear about an amazing fundraising event to support Liberty Lane's campaign. You really won't believe what people will do to help women and children affected by family violence. Stay tuned... Legal Aid is a service offered to those with low income in need of legal representation. Their services typically fall within criminal and family matters. However, in New Brunswick, many services are not covered by our legal aid system. For family matters, these services include, “variation of any order made under the Divorce Act (including child support); division of marital property; variation of spousal support (New Brunswick Legal Aid Commission, 2012).” This places many women who fall into the low income category who are experience domestic violence unable to file for divorce from a violent partner. If their partner files for divorce while attempting to gain custody of their child, the woman has no representation from legal aid. This often forces women to self represent against their violent partner, risking the custody of their child and a fair agreement of divorce. Nova Scotia
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