Strong relationships between local organizations often lead to stronger communities overall. The partnership between Genesis House and RONA serves as a notable example. $50,000 last year Ang Braun, the executive director of Genesis House, said that over the past year, her agency has had increasing involvement with RONA through its foundation that, according to its website, strives to give back to the regions that welcome it. “They have a fund,” said Braun. “We applied to [it], and they donated $50,000 in a contribution towards our transitional housing project.” Braun said that “a lot of work” from the agency went into applying for the sum, which was granted approximately a year ago. Another significant result of the grant, according to Braun, was that it forged a connection between RONA and Genesis House, which has left the door open to further partnership. 'It’s the core of everything we do’ Braun said that this year, the local RONA location donated $900 to the agency through its own initiative. The executive director said that this donation, rather than being allocated to the transitional housing fund, will be used for the ongoing operational costs of running the shelter and its services, which is equally important. “Trying to build a new organization [that will] still be under the umbrella of Genesis House, I still have to make sure that we're running our real operation all the time,” said Braun. “That still exists, and it still needs a lot of attention. It's the core of everything we do.” ‘It tells me every time that we’re on the right track’ For Braun, every donation, no matter the amount, speaks volumes. Beyond providing financial support for a crucial cause, it’s also a sign of buy-in to Genesis House’s vision, which includes supporting survivors of intimate partner violence at every step in their journey of healing, from emergency lodging and education to the transitional housing that the agency is currently building. Related stories: Land blessing marks next step of Genesis House’s pivotal transitional housing project Genesis House breaks records with its Unmask Domestic Violence event The message of Genesis House’s new vibrant bench “Every donation that comes in towards our project does a bunch of things. One of the things is it tells me every time that we're on the right track,” said Braun. “When other people come on board once they hear what we're doing, it boosts our energy, it boosts our confidence .... We have bought in, but other people are supporting and saying, ‘Yes, that is actually something that we support and we should have.’” A long list of supporters RONA’s contribution is a part of a consistent trend of the Pembina Valley’s support of Genesis House, and Braun said that it hasn’t slowed down yet. “RONA was such great news, and there is more great news coming in,” she said. “At some point, we will be able to roll out that whole binder, which will likely be a very thick one, of all the people who supported us in this project.” Up next for Genesis House is its radiothon, which will make use of the airwaves to raise even more funds for the organization’s transitional housing project on November 20 and 21. See the links below to learn more about the pivotal undertaking. With files from Jayme Giesbrecht