It may have looked a bit different but, a charity still walked away with a sizeable cheque.
The 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John hosted their meeting virtually on Tuesday night.
Co-founder Debbie Rathwell said it was a big step outside of their comfort zone but it turned out beautifully.
“We thought ‘you know what, we are not going to let COVID stop us from giving back’.
So, we worked it out on Zoom. We were able to do the voting through Zoom’s online polling,” Rathwell said.
Rathwell said 115 women participated in the meeting.
https://www.facebook.com/100WomenSJ/posts/1272215472968006?__xts__[0]=68.ARA48XlYx_7sBmouzy6wVUMn49lRvsYqcHnGARUX3ZzyN6pnM0ydsTh
After three pitches, Second Stage Safe Haven was voted the winner of a cheque for $24,000.
They provide safe, affordable housing for women and children experiencing domestic violence.
Julia Forgrave, executive director of Second Stage Safe Haven, said there is always a strong need for this service.
“I would say the concern we have is that because of the pandemic, there may be an increase in domestic violence and women may feel it’s difficult to reach out for assistance,” Forgrave said.
Second Stage Save Haven also offers counselling, eduational programs and they accompany clients to appointments and help them navigate the social services system.
Family Plus Life Solutions and the Salvation Army also made pitches for the funding.
