Singh presented a donation of $500 to community pillar, Big Hill Haven, outside his storefront on Monday (July 26).
“They are doing really good things for women who have no shelter,” Singh said. “So that’s why I want to support them.”
Singh encourages other businesses to give back too.
Part of Big Hill Haven’s mission as an emergency women’s shelter is to “provide a safe place for women with or without children leaving domestic abuse and empower them to rebuild their lives by providing support services and advocacy.”
Tara McFadden, fund development and public relations officer for Big Hill Haven, said Cochrane has been generous in supporting the work of the women's shelter in supporting those fleeing domestic abuse, even during COVID-19.
“This is a new partnership [with Liquor Baron],” she said. “We’ve been really fortunate through COVID in that a lot of our existing partners have continued to support us and find ways— But also new supporters, new donors, new businesses, are finding ways to step up and make a difference.”
As Big Hill Haven continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of the community, they have also been working closely with the Cochrane RCMP, who have reported a levelling out in domestic abuse calls.
However, the calls they have been getting are generally more severe, McFadden said, and a higher percentage of calls this year are linked to mental health issues.
“It's such a sensitive time for people that are experiencing domestic violence, and people are in so many different places,” she said. “We really work hard to make sure that we reach women where they're at.
“Wherever they're at in their domestic violence journey, our outreach support team is there to help them with this.”
Big Hill Haven has two outreach workers available providing 55 hours of support from Tuesday to Sunday in the community. The crisis support centre provides services to about 60,000 people living in Cochrane, Bearspaw, Springbank, Bragg Creek, Cremona, Redwood Meadows and Ghost Lake Village.
With COVID-19 public health restrictions easing up a little, McFadden is looking forward to more in-person opportunities to establish partnerships and relationships in the community to continue building support for Big Hill Haven.
“We have a number of events that we're looking forward to as fundraisers,” she said. “The first is Cruise4Her on Aug. 28, and we're looking to raise $15,000.”
Cruise Cochrane and major sponsor Cochrane GM have been instrumental in making this year’s event possible.
“You can bring your fancy cars and your cool trucks and your motorbikes, and come and cruise with us, and help us raise some money for a great cause,” said McFadden.
The Rotary Club’s Monumental Tournament of Aces, which takes place Oct. 2 at the Links of GlenEagles, has also chosen Big Hill Haven as their major beneficiary this year.
