Harmony House, Nelson House, and Maison d’amitié

Harmony House

Funding is crucial for Harmony House's efforts to provide safe transitional housing and critical support for women and children fleeing violence. With our 85-person growing waiting list, the need for these services is more urgent than ever. In 2024, record numbers of individuals were turned away from women’s shelters due to lack of resources. The Night Light Walk helps raise the funds needed to ensure survivors rebuild their lives and create a future free from violence.

Nelson House

Nelson House operates a 15-bed shelter offering emergency and transitional housing for women and children fleeing domestic and intimate partner violence. With over 1,000 crisis calls received each year, the need for support remains urgent. Our services include 24/7 crisis intervention, legal and housing advocacy, child and youth programming, counselling, and immigration assistance. Our Transitional Housing Support Program continues this care after families leave the shelter, helping them secure and maintain housing, navigate community services, and build independent, violence-free lives. Due to shortages in funding,  community support is essential helping survivors access safety, healing, and hope. The Night Light Walk is more than an event, it’s an act of solidarity that shows survivors they’re not alone.

Maison d’amitié

Maison d’amitié is the only French-speaking emergency shelter, located in Ottawa, which welcomes, accompanies and supports French-speaking women affected by gender-based violence and their children, in order to facilitate the regaining of control over their lives. Maison d’amitié is proud to have two homes, each with a 15-bed capacity. We also offer transitional housing support to help women move confidently from shelter life into safe, stable homes of their own. Maison d’amitié provides a 24/7 provincial crisis line, Fem’aide, providing French services to women in crisis. Maison d’amiité relies heavily on donations from events like the Night Light Walk to provide essential support for the women we serve, to help them start their new lives with greater independence and safety.