The Welcome Centre for Women launches Pink Butterfly Campaign

 

 

by Dawn Gray

Cards in the shape of pink butterflies are showing up across Windsor and Essex County as part of a social media campaign designed to increase awareness and support for local women experiencing poverty and homelessness.

The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women launched the campaign for March. The campaign is intended to bring attention to the shelter and to start conversations about poverty in Windsor. Organizers hope to engage the public by posting hundreds of inspirational pink butterfly cards all across the city and encouraging anyone who sees them to take a picture and share it on their social media platforms with the hashtag #pinkbutterfly.

The centre’s Director of Community Engagement Remy Boulbol is leading the pink butterfly campaign. Boulbol said the icon of the butterfly transcends barriers because people realize it represents transformation.

“We are trying to erase some of the stigma around who is homeless and what poverty looks like,”said Boulbol. “We wanted to do something that got people talking in a different way.”

The WCSFW is a full provider of emergency shelter and related services for women and families in Windsor and Essex.

According to Boulbol, the shelter serviced over 6,700 beds in 2015. Although she thinks poverty may not be an overly obvious problem in the Windsor area, the shelter is constantly full and often overflowing.

“In Windsor and Essex, you don’t see the homelessness, you don’t see the poverty the same way you do with other cities,” said Boulbol. “It’s hidden, you don’t see people sleeping on the ground but we see a lot of people here. There’s a huge need.”

The shelter is very active on social media but until Boulbol started the #pinkbutterfly initiative, they didn’t have a way to engage the community.

“The butterflies are in businesses, parks, they’re all over the place. The idea is that people will find them and there’s instructions on how to share it on social media using the hashtag #pinkbutterfly,” said Boulbol. “Since the start of the campaign, we’ve had a huge increase in our social media presence and also people calling and coming by the shelter to learn more about the program.”

Boulbol said there is no reason why anyone in this area should be homeless with a facility like this available.

“We are a locked and safe facility. It’s a safe haven to be in and it’s for anyone,”said Boulbol. “We don’t turn people away for any reason — drug addiction, mental health, gender issues. We take anyone who’s dealing with hard issues.”

WEtech Alliance is one of many local businesses that is showing support for the Pink Butterfly Campaign. President and CEO of WEtech Alliance, Yvonne Pilon, said having a social media presence is great because it enables a message to have both local and global reach.

“Social media is free and you have a lot of eyeballs,” said Pilon. “When it comes to promoting a campaign like this, you need to have a social media presence. It brings awareness to the agency and to the poverty in general that is in our community,”

Pilon has volunteered for the shelter in the past and said the staff are truly passionate and care about the community. Her experience at the shelter helped her realize the level of homelessness in Windsor. She said a homeless person is just like anyone else who has gone through an unfortunate situation and may simply need a helping hand.

“A challenge for people facing homelessness is that they might not have the resources to check a computer or have a phone to Google it,” said Pilon. “The message is ‘if you know someone who is experiencing poverty, tell them about the facility.’ People need help and sometimes they don’t know where to go.”

The WCSFW is hoping to distribute close to 1000 butterflies this year. They will be everywhere from local businesses to riverfront parks. Boulbol said it will be a fun thing for someone to find if they’re downtown shopping, enjoying a walk or out at the park with their kids. It will be a nice little thing to brighten their day and bring awareness to the shelter.

“It’s an amazing place and the clients that we have are incredible men, women and kids that just need a little help right now. There’s no shame in that whatsoever and we will help everyone. Being homeless can happen to anyone,” said Boulbol. “We want to hear your story. Come in tell us what your story is and let us find a way to help you. There is no reason whatsoever for you to be on your own. We’re here.”