BWSS Announces Synchronicity: Second-Stage Transition House Program in Vancouver

At BWSS, we recognize that ending gender-based violence begins with a safe home with a program designed to transform the impacts of intimate partner violence. 

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) is proud to announce the launch of Synchronicity, a Second-Stage Transition House Program. This transformative program provides survivors of intimate partner violence with the resources, safety, and support they need to rebuild their lives.

The 16 Days of Activism, observed globally, highlights the urgent need to address gender-based violence. BWSS joins this movement by taking meaningful action to support survivors and work toward systemic change.

Invisible homelessness is a harsh reality for many women in British Columbia fleeing violence. With shelters over capacity and housing unaffordable, far too many women are forced to live in their cars or other precarious situations to escape abuse. These women are unseen, yet their struggles are profound. Without safe housing, they face impossible choices: returning to abusive relationships or enduring homelessness. Housing is more than shelter—it’s survival, dignity, and the foundation for a secure and independent future.

“Invisible homelessness is a harsh reality for many women in British Columbia fleeing violence,” says Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director of BWSS. “Too many women are forced into precarious situations, like living in their cars, due to overcapacity shelters and unaffordable housing. Synchronicity is our response to this crisis—a program that offers a pathway to independence and long-term safety.”

For many, the violence they experience isn’t public—it’s behind closed doors, where it should never occur: at home. A home is supposed to be a place of safety, comfort, and security. For many victims of intimate partner violence, survival means leaving. The hardest part isn’t always leaving—it’s what comes after. It’s learning to trust yourself again. It’s rebuilding after economic abuse, navigating legal issues in criminal, family, or child protection law. It’s rebuilding confidence after being worn down by an abusive partner. It’s also fighting the urge to reach out to the abusive partner again when feeling lonely. It includes unpacking the lies the abusive partner told her. Healing takes time, but it is worth it.

That’s why BWSS is proud to introduce Synchronicity: Second-Stage Transition House Program—a new and critical program that offers survivors more than just a safe place to begin healing.

It provides 10 units of second-stage housing for women, and includes:

“Leaving an abusive relationship is just the beginning of a survivor’s journey,” says Johanne Lamoureux, Manager of Community-based Response at BWSS. “Synchronicity provides the holistic support survivors need to navigate the challenges of healing, rebuilding confidence, and finding stability.”

Inspired by Transformation and Resilience

At BWSS, we embrace the profound meaning of synchronicity—the meaningful alignment of care, opportunity, and healing to create transformative change. We also find inspiration in the symbolism of the dragonfly, representing transformation, adaptability, and the pursuit of light and clarity.

Guided by these powerful symbols, Synchronicity: Second-Stage Transition House Program offers survivors a safe, nurturing program where they can rebuild their lives. Just as the dragonfly embodies resilience and change, this program empowers women to embrace new beginnings and thrive.

Because, like the dragonfly, everyone has the strength to transform and thrive. 

“During the 16 Days of Activism, we’re reminded of the importance of tangible action,” says Shawna Baylis, Synchronicity Second-Stage Transition House Program Coordinator. “This program is an example of how we can create lasting change by offering survivors a safe haven and the tools to rebuild their futures.”

Join Us in Supporting Survivors

BWSS invites the community to join the global movement during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Learn more about Synchronicity and how a safe home can change everything. Together, we can create a brighter future for survivors of intimate partner violence.

For more information, visit www.bwss.org.

Introducing BWSS’ Synchronicity Second Stage Transition House Program Coordinator, Shawna Baylis

I am a Black Canadian woman who was born in Nova Scotia. My family goes back seven generations. I have been working in the non-profit sector for over twenty years. Looking back, my best years were spent working in grassroots women’s organizations. That was before words like inclusion and diversity became part of the lexicon of boards of directors and managers. We simply did that work organically— it was just the way the work was done.

I have realized lately that during those times, I could show up to work as my whole self, and I missed that. As a Black woman, I was seen, and my experiences of racism were acknowledged and, more importantly, validated.

In the last decade, things have changed in the non-profit sector. There are very few safe spaces for women, especially women of colour. The beginning of this year involved a difficult transition for me, forcing me to look inward to rediscover and reevaluate what was important to me. During this time, I gained a better understanding of my core values. I also realized that I had somehow lost them along the way and was no longer incorporating them into my daily practices at work. This saddens me.

During this time, I was informed that BWSS was opening a second-stage program. The name would be Synchronicity, although it had not been named at the time. I have a long-standing relationship with BWSS, having worked with them twenty years ago, give or take a few years. I also served on their board of directors for five years and stayed connected to the organization in several ways. I was asked to work with them in the lead-up to the program opening, on a contract basis. I was excited and thrilled to be a part of the process.

For about six months prior to the opening of Synchronicity, I met with the staff almost weekly. We discussed the vision and values of the organization and its commitment to ending gender-based violence. I got to know the culture of the organization once again, which was exhilarating.

It was refreshing, and the dialogue with the BWSS staff team during that time reignited my passion, which I had somewhat lost along the way. I realize this is a challenging and difficult time for women and their children. I felt called to use my professional and personal experience to support this housing project with BWSS. This organization has solid values, and its mission never wavers. I wanted to be a part of something like that—something bigger than me.

At BWSS, we don’t just talk about DEI; we do it. We don’t just talk about inclusion; we practise it. We recognize the systems and social constructs that are in place. We can openly discuss racism, sexism, and other isms, and how they impact us as women. We hold each other accountable in a respectful, transparent way because we care about one another as women and deeply care about fighting for systemic change in a system that often labels us as disruptors.

We stand with survivors in the face of ingrained oppression, white supremacy, and the unprecedented violence that the women we serve experience. We are privileged that women seek out BWSS to stand with them.

To learn more about the Synchronicity Second-Stage Transition House Program, please contact Shawna at (236) 333-9326 or secondstage@bwss.org.