Alternatives for Women has been operating in Prince Edward County since 1987 to help women who have experienced abuse. Unfortunately, the need for our services has not declined in the last 36 years. I am honoured and thankful to follow so many incredible people who have helped make Alternatives what it is today. Our staff, board and volunteers are all deeply honoured to serve the women and children of Prince Edward County.

The Re-brand

Our re-brand comes at a time when awareness of gender-based violence is stronger than ever. Many municipalities have declared intimate partner violence an epidemic (including PEC). Bill 173 is gaining support for the province to declare it as well. We want to ensure our agency is modern and moving forward, while also respecting the past. We also want to continue to build relationships while creating new awareness in the community, for those who already know us and those who may not know who we are.  

Alternatives for Women is grateful to engage the services of iilo Creative Alliance, a women owned and led agency in Canada who work solely with mission driven organizations and businesses. Their team provided incredible work and support during the re-branding and website creation process. We cannot say enough about the insights, creativity and guidance they offered.

‘A Window Towards Hope’ is the name of our new logo. The rosette shape is a more abstract take on choice and options. It is soft and brings to mind love and support, with heart arrows pointing inward to focus on the individual needing support. The outer ring from the core shows alternate pathways someone can take, and the support of people around them. The artwork can be interpreted as a window, looking out towards hope.  

With this re-brand, we also wanted to focus on accessibility and understanding of our services and intimate partner violence. We now have a completely new website that identifies our services and how we can support women in the community. It also provides helpful resources, gives updates about our events and provides information about what is happening (locally, provincially, nationally and globally) around gender-based violence issues.

Looking towards the future

In addition to our frontline work, we also focus on prevention. Our agency is involved in the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for Prince Edward County and the Quinte Coordinating Committee Against Violence. Here we focus on advocacy and system level changes we can help make. ‘A Window Towards Hope’ seems incredibly appropriate when considering how we want our services viewed by our clients and the community. As more people are becoming aware and engaged about gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, we look towards a hopeful future where one day women are not experiencing violence. When the community no longer needs our services.

Our new logo symbolizes this window of hope and the arrows showing us a way forward to a new and safe place, through the provision of compassionate and non-judgmental services. This helps empower women to a bright future. We invite you to please connect with us if you are in need of our services or would like more information about what we do!

• Julie Watson, Executive Director