Our Mission

Interval House of Ottawa is committed to ending the cycle of violence and to empowering women and children who are victims of violence. We provide emergency shelter for women and their children fleeing abuse, and offer crisis intervention and prevention services, advocacy for victims and education about family violence for both victims of violence and the community at large.

Our Vision

Our global vision for the future is a society where intimate and political violence is eradicated and there is no need for shelters to protect women and their children from violence. We envision a society where people treat each other with dignity, respect and compassion; where oppression is replaced with equality; where conflict and anger are expressed in non-violent ways; where children grow up with their self-esteem intact, in an atmosphere that helps them recognize the value of speaking the truth; welcoming diversity and practicing cooperation.

Our Basic Beliefs

We understand that violence impacts the primary victims, family members and future generations. Ending violence and providing quality and accessible service is a community responsibility.

We believe all women and their children have a right to:

1. live a life free of violence,
2. be treated with respect and dignity,
3. access services that meet their individual and diverse needs,
4. be provided with accurate and timely information so they can make informed choices.

We believe service providers have an obligation to:

1. work in partnership and collaboration with other community agencies,
2. honour each other’s uniqueness and similarities,
3. participate and share in each other’s community events, celebrations and causes,
4. actively engage the public in awareness and education,
5. challenge the community to support anti-racism/anti-oppression work.