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By Ian Gustafson

Government grant

Sendero Centre and Outreach Centre receive grant funding for family violence prevention

Nov 27, 2025 | 1:04 PM

The Sendero Centre and the Red Deer Outreach Centre have been named as two of 26 community-based agencies in Alberta that received grant funding from the provincial government to help tackle family violence and support survivors.

The Taking Action on Family Violence grant is investing nearly $6 million into the 26 organizations to focus on preventing violence before it occurs, intervening at early signs of violence, and helping survivors.

The Red Deer Outreach Centre was awarded $515,000 from the grant, and the Sendero Centre was provided $92,411.

The government says the investment reinforces its commitment to supporting victims of gender-based violence and promoting awareness during Family Violence Prevention Month.

Ian Wheeliker, executive director of the Red Deer Outreach Centre, said they were approved for the funding for two programs related to family violence.

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One is for community-based family violence response intervention and support, and the other is for coordinating and collaborating with the domestic violence interagency committee, both in Red Deer and throughout central Alberta.

Wheeliker explained that the funding is actually a reduction in what they were previously receiving through the family violence prevention funding. They were previously funded up to just over $800,000 for four programs they offered.

“This new funding allows us to continue to offer the core response to domestic violence from a community-based perspective,” he said.

“We’ve had to make some adjustments, but we’re thankful that we got it because it was open to any non-profit agency across the province. I think it’s because the Outreach Centre has done such good work in the community over the past decades. We were able to show the impact, show that we had the highly trained, dedicated staff and that we were ready to hit the ground running.”

In addition, the Outreach Centre has launched its Holiday Hope campaign and its adopt-a-family program for the holiday season. For more information, please visit their website.

Meantime, Sendero Centre Executive Director Patricia Arango said the money will go to support their education program for family violence prevention.

What they teach the kids is to be a part of the solution, such as being able to say no as it relates to consent, boundaries, and respect.

For example, with the little ones, they talk about the supports available to them if someone has asked them to keep a secret about something that was done to them and from Grade 4 to 12 is education on respect and consent.

She explained the education they’ve offered in central Alberta will now be taken to Indigenous communities in the area, including Big Horn 144A, O’Chiese First Nation, and Sunchild First Nation.

“What we’re doing now is changing the language and adapting it a little bit to go to the communities and deliver the program specific to them,” she said.

The grant, she explained, is for one year only but will be used to expand their K-12 programming to the Indigenous communities.

The provincial government has invested more than $188 million in gender-based violence prevention across the province, building on its 10-year strategy to end gender-based violence.

“Family violence hurts individuals, families, and our entire community. Organizations like the Central Alberta Outreach Society and the Sendero Centre can make a positive difference in people’s lives,” said Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South. “The purpose of this taxpayer funding is to help prevent abuse, intervene early, and support survivors.”

Albertans affected by family or gender-based violence can call or text the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818, or access confidential support through the Safety Chat at alberta.ca/SafetyChat.