OLDS — As people walk into the site for construction of Kirsten’s place, an emergency shelter for people fleeing domestic violence, they pass by a fence painted purple.
It was painted a couple of weeks ago by members of Youth Empowerment and Support (YES), a regional youth mental health preventative program.
Raelynn Notley, a mental health capacity building program manager for YES, told the Albertan that the fence was painted purple because that’s the colour for domestic violence awareness.
The shelter, now under construction at the junction of 50th Avenue and 54th Street in Olds, is named Kirsten’s Place, in honour of Kirsten Gardner, who was killed during an alleged case of domestic violence in Bowden in March, 2021.
“Students from Holy Trinity, Deer Meadow and the Olds High School will continue to work on the fence by adding flowers and artwork in memory of Kirsten,” Notley wrote in an email.
“Once the fence is torn down, the boards will be used to make benches that will stay on-site at Kirsten’s Place.”
Success coach Kendra Weisbrodt brought some of the students who helped paint the fence to a ground-breaking ceremony for the shelter, held May 1.
‘Kendra has worked with the students to promote healthy relationships and leadership opportunities for youth in the community. It is a way that they can support the initiative and be active members of their community,” Notley wrote.
