Boyle McCauley News

Since 1979 • April-May 2024 • Circulation 5000

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Creating Pathways Out of Exploitation

“I just wanted to take a moment to genuinely thank you so much for the bursary provided towards my tuition this year! As a single mother with very little family or financial support, your contribution will go much farther than you can know. The bursary granted has paid for half of my tuition this upcoming semester, which will enable me to work fewer hours and dedicate more time to my studies as well as my son.”

CEASE (first known as PAAFE) was given the task of using the fees from the Prostitution Offender Program to help heal the harm created by men cruising our communities. One priority was to grant bursaries so that women (and a few men) could pursue their education. Education opens many doors. In our first year, we granted one bursary at NAIT for $1,500. Since then, generous donors have helped those dollars grow and stretch to support several hundred women.

In 1999, the Pringle & Associates law firm held a fundraiser to launch our bursary at MacEwan University. This year, seven women were funded for a total of $7,000. Their studies ranged from Accounting and Strategic Management, to Nursing, Engineering, Corrections, Bachelor of Arts, Asian and Pacific Management, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy. The Edmonton Community Foundation Eldon and Anne Foote Fund helped establish an endowment. The Province matched the donations and it’s now over $150,000.

Rachel’s Hope Bursary at NorQuest was initiated in 2006, two years after 19 year old Rachel Quinney was murdered and tossed in a field outside Edmonton. She had hoped to go to NorQuest in September, 2004, but was murdered that June. With her family’s permission, we launched the Bursary in her memory. Later, we started an endowment fund, and attracted donations and matching funds from the province. This fund also has over $150,000, adding around $5,000 into the active bursary fund each year. We were able to grant eleven women bursaries for a total of $22,000 in 2013 – 2014. Women took Academic Upgrading and Social Work.

We disbursed $13,858 for general bursaries this past year thanks to another donation of $25,000 from the Edmonton Community Foundation Eldon and Anne Foote Fund. The remaining funds will be granted in 2014 – 2015. Nine women took courses ranging from construction, esthetics, yoga teacher training, Excel training, insulator program, media, technology, and courses towards a Bachelor on Science.

CEASE was able to invest over $42,000 to support 27 women and have them experience community encouragement as they work hard to build a better life for themselves and their children.

Kate is the Executive Director of CEASE: Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation and is a resident of McCauley.

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