Commentary

Monthly Message: FTP to host Community Appreciation Open House for 40th anniversary

August 28, 2025   ·   0 Comments

Family Transition Place (FTP) invites the community to celebrate 40 years of providing hope to Dufferin and Caledon at an open house this September.

This year, FTP is celebrating 40 years of providing safety, support and hope within the Dufferin and Caledon communities. This longevity and milestone are both the unfortunate reality of the enduring and growing need for its services and support as a violence against women agency, yet also a beautiful testament to this community’s commitment to and belief in FTP’s work.

FTP first opened its doors in 1985 and was started by a group of dedicated volunteers who saw a growing need in the community for a safe place for women and their children who were experiencing domestic violence. Originally located in a residence on Hillside Drive in Orangeville, as the demand for diverse services increased, so too did the need for space to provide them. Following a successful $500,000 capital campaign in 1997, FTP built and moved to its current location at 20 Bredin Parkway – a 19,000 square foot facility housing its emergency shelter and all programs and services under one roof.

Satellite offices are also located in both Shelburne (at the Mel Lloyd Centre) and in Bolton (at 18 King Street East) where additional services are provided, including the Rural Response Program specializing in supporting the unique needs of individuals living in rural Dufferin County.

The collective support of countless volunteers, staff, donors, funders, community partners and stakeholders has continued to shape FTP’s 40-year history. To show their appreciation for this community’s ongoing support and commitment to its work, FTP staff are opening the doors and invite you to join them at their community appreciation open house.

The event takes place Thursday, Sept. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. at FTP (20 Bredin Parkway, Orangeville).

Registration is required and can be completed at familytransitionplace.ca.

Everyone is welcome at this family-friendly event. Guests are invited to enjoy a free BBQ, children’s activities, meet FTP’s dedicated staff and learn more about the many services and supports they provide to the community. Guided tours will also be available, providing an exclusive look at and opportunity to learn more about FTP’s many programs, including emergency shelter, youth education, counselling, outreach and transitional, legal and housing support services.

“We are excited to welcome our community and share more about the work that we do here at FTP,” says Executive Director, Lynette Pole-Langdon. “We simply wouldn’t be where we are today without the remarkable support of the communities we serve. Drop by for a bite to eat, a tour of the shelter, and a chance to see firsthand how your support continues to make a difference.”

About Family Transition Place

FTP provides programs and services in the Dufferin and Caledon communities to women and their children who have experienced abuse, sexual violence or homelessness. Whether women or women and their families need a safe place to live, legal or housing support, or the services of a professional counsellor to help guide them on their healing journey, FTP offers a warm and welcoming environment of support.

Rooted in its deeply held agency values of Compassion, Integrity, Equity and Social Responsibility, its mission is to support the holistic well-being of those affected by gender-based violence and promote healthy relationships and community, through education.

FTP’s vision is a community free of abuse where all individuals are treated with compassion, equity and respect, and live their lives in healthy relationships. As a medium-sized not-for-profit agency based in Orangeville, they endeavour to achieve this vision by providing safety, support and hope through several critical program and service areas.

Their housing program operates an emergency shelter at 20 Bredin Parkway in Orangeville for women (16+) and their children fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness. There, they have 12 emergency shelter units, in which they can house and support up to 28 women, children and their family pets at any one time. FTP provides individual, family and group counselling services to both families staying in the shelter, as well as to community clients from its Orangeville location and at satellite offices in Shelburne and Bolton, too.

FTP also operates Second and Third Stage Housing programs in six houses throughout the Orangeville community. The clients in this program are housed in independent homes while they continue to be supported by program staff and compassionate wraparound services.

In addition to its housing portfolio, support is provided through FTP’s 24/7-Hour Support Line, addictions, sexual violence and abuse counselling and workshops for women, men and children, as well as rural outreach, transitional support, mobile crisis and housing services. Thousands of youth also participate annually in healthy relationship education delivered in grade 5-8 classrooms throughout the region.

Do you have additional questions? Are you interested in supporting families in your community?

Contact Brennan Solecky at brennan@familytransitionplace.ca, or at 519-942-4122 ext. 240.

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