Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society
- 250-763-4613 ext. 201
- 649 Leon Avenue
- Kelowna, British ColumbiaV1Y 9S3
About us
The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society (COEFS) was founded in 1972 by a group of volunteers who were concerned about safety for women in Kelowna and area. In 1982 the agency became a registered non-profit society.
COEFS provides a specialized center where women and children affected by violence, or women involved in the legal system, can speak to a trusted professional, learn about their rights and options, and access specialized counselling to address crime and violence in their lives.
Our mission is to support and empower those affected by sexual abuse, exploitation or violence in relationships.
What we believe in
Our mission is to support and empower those affected by sexual abuse, exploitation or violence in relationships.
Our goals are:
- To stop violence against women and children.
- To move low income women and children out of poverty.
- To promote the legal rights, justice, and services for women and children.
We work with the following Businesses and Organizations
Employees from these businesses volunteer with us:
Causes we care about
Gender Issues
Justice and Legal Services
Social Services
News
Things we’re involved with in the community
Tamara McLellan,
Thanks for Doing Some Good!
Read more...What first inspired you to volunteer?
I moved around a lot growing up and saw my parents volunteer and get involved in the community everywhere we went. That was likely the first motivator that I recognized at an early age. I also had a life-changing moment when I was 22 years old, at a marketing conference where I saw the philanthopist John Wood (Founder of Room to Read and author of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World) speak. This was my awakening. Only then did I truly grasp the gratitude that I now have for the circumstances I was born into. It was my realization then, that I had to take my place in this world and pay it forward. Since that moment I've traveled around Africa, India and Central America volunteering, while getting very involved in each community I've lived in as well.Which cause are you most passionate about and why?
I care deeply about gender issues because I believe women hold up half the sky and it's vital to our evolution as a human race that our voices are heard on a fair and equal level. I have spent time in India working with women and adolescent girls, and have also spent time with executives and the elite 1% at board tables in the West, and it's appalling that inequality is still happening at all levels.