Acadian Properties Helps Build a Future with Crossroads for Women
MONCTON – A family business in the Moncton area has taken on a cause they intend to see through to its goal.
Andrée Savoie, partner and managing director of Acadian Properties group of companies, and her brother David Savoie, president of Acadian Construction, have been working closely with Crossroads for Women and their goal of establishing a new, higher capacity shelter for nearly five years.
Crossroads for Women, an organization helping women and children transition from crisis by providing safe housing, education, counselling and support, has long felt the need for a shelter that could accommodate more people. Originally planning to build a new structure, Crossroads acquired an existing building in 2013 and have been working on renovations since, a project expected to cost $2.5 million. The shelter is now around $380,000 short of its goal.
Andrée says that their company has been involved with the project since Crossroads was first looking for a construction company to build the new shelter.
“The chance came around when we heard that Crossroads was looking to get a bigger shelter, that they were at capacity and had some problems with the current building,” she said.
Andrée says at this time, her company and employees were looking for a cause for team building and fundraising for Crossroads seemed like the perfect fit. She explains that through fundraising, they were able to raise $250,000 for Crossroads over four years and help raise awareness about the problem of domestic violence in the area.
“Throughout my life our father, our parents had three causes that were near and dear to their hearts so if they did anything in the community, it had to do with one of these,” Andrée said. “One of [these] was Crossroads for Women … I think it’s just because my father thought it was wrong that some people wouldn’t have a safe home or place to go to because we’re lucky enough that it wasn’t an issue at our house or any of our close family and friend’s houses.”
Andrée and David’s father passed away in 2000 after inheriting the family business from their grandfather and passing it along to them. They both remember him putting a lot of effort towards the cause of Crossroads.
David explains that Acadian Construction won the original contract to build the new Crossroads shelter and that when the plan to renovate an existing structure emerged instead, they were there to take on the renovations.
“Having grown up hearing about them, it kind of tugs at your heartstrings to get you involved because it’s an important [cause] that doesn’t get enough recognition,” David said. “Other causes in Moncton … they get so much media and so much attention and so much horsepower behind them to help them fundraise. Helping out the little guy, which is Crossroads, just rang truer to us than others would.”
David says the Crossroads cause is one that their team members have had no trouble getting on board with.
“They want to see it through and they donate some of their time and their energy and it’s one of those feel good projects versus one that is much more [than] just [us] building buildings every day. This one just tugs a little bit more. We’re actually making a difference with this one,” he said.
Andrée says that there are women on their team who have a particularly close connection with Crossroads, women who have themselves taken shelter with the organization.
“There are always some projects that have more meaning than others throughout your career and this one is special for a lot of them,” she said.
“Since I’ve been involved, people confide in me certain things about why they’re giving or why they’re helping and it’s surprising or overwhelming how many people were affected by domestic violence that you just wouldn’t know because they’ve moved on to live strong and abled lives. It’s incredible how it hits closer to home than you would think because it’s not a subject that people speak about necessarily.”
Even after the new Crossroads shelter is up and running, Andrée says there will still be opportunities for their company to help out.
“We’ll never not help Crossroads. They’re always going to need help operationally as well. They need to fundraise a lot of money every year to keep the doors open,” she said.
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A representative from Crossroads for Women was unavailable for comment at this time.