A community-oriented approach with a progressive editorial stance, striving for transparency and encouraging readers to consider multiple perspectives.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
booked.netCall us at 613-935-3763
Eco-conscious : Print an issue, plant a tree! 

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Giving back
    • Mission Statement
    • Past Issues
    • Where to Find
    • Call us at 613-935-3763
The Seeker - Positively Local, Suporting Local
  • Home
  • News
  • The Soapbox
  • Columnists
  • Events
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
  • Puzzles
  • Videos
Seeker
No Result
View All Result

Five Questions with Debbie Fortier – Baldwin House Executive Director

Jason Setnyk by Jason Setnyk
January 13, 2023
in News, 5 questions with...
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Debbie Fortier Executive Director of Baldwin House.

Interview by Jason Setnyk | Submitted Photo

Cornwall, Ontario – Maison Baldwin House was founded in 1980 by the Sisters of Holy Cross to provide temporary safe shelter for women over 16 years old, with or without children, who must flee their home due to domestic violence.

You might also like

The Ontario SPCA supports more than 60 animals during spay/neuter and wellness event in Akwesasne

TOM GREEN ANNOUNCES NATIONAL TOUR 

City of Cornwall and Cornwall Community Hospital Recognize Stroke Awareness Month

Debbie Fortier has been the Executive Director since 1999. Debbie started working at the shelter 40 years ago as a front-line Counsellor. She soon moved into the position of Staff Coordinator and later became the Executive Director. Debbie is one of the longest-standing employees in the shelter movement across the province of Ontario. Debbie manages many aspects of the shelter and the social enterprise Serendipity Boutique which she opened over five years ago. Serendipity Boutique helps financially sustain the operating costs to run Maison Baldwin House.

After 40 years of service, Debbie Fortier has been nominated for the Attorney General’s Victim Services Award of Distinction. Here are five questions she answered for The Seeker magazine.

Five Questions with The Seeker

1 – What is the goal or mission of your organization?

“Our mission is to assist women and their children in a transition from violent and abusive circumstances to a safe and secure environment and a renewed family life by providing safe shelter and services and encouraging them to realize their full human potential. All services are free and confidential”.

2 – What are the ways people in the community can support your organization?

“Maison Baldwin House must fundraise to meet our actual operating costs of the shelter. As you can well imagine with the cost of food and the rising costs of utilities and maintenance, we must reach out to our community. We offer charitable tax receipts for all monetary donations. Donations of food, household items, and such are always welcome at the shelter. Clothing is graciously accepted at the shelter or can be dropped off at Serendipity Boutique at 331 Second Street West when the boutique is open. We run our boutique solely by Volunteers and are always recruiting to increase our capacity at both the shelter and the boutique”.

3 – Tell us about an outcome or success story your organization has had.

“Over the years, we have looked at ways to find additional funding for Maison Baldwin. Over five years ago, we opened a Social Enterprise that would be completely run by Volunteers that could generate finances. Serendipity has been a huge success in our community. In 2019 we were able to build an addition to the building that would give our Volunteers more space to work and increase the capacity of donations. Our little Shabby Chic thrift store is a gem in our community. Customers find great items at great prices, so much is saved from going to the landfill. Women who are residing with us can shop for free”.

4 – What should the public know about your organization and services?

“Maison Baldwin House is a very busy organization in our community. We are a 10-bed shelter and often run at 100% occupancy. Our organization has been offering service to a number of Human Trafficking Victims most recently. While women reside with us, we assist them by advocating on their behalf with services they require to get back on their feet and live a life free from violence. We assist with seeking legal advice, housing, social services, and services for their children; we help make these connections”.

5 – Tell us about volunteers and what they mean to your organization.

“We pride ourselves in the wonderful team of volunteers at both the shelter and Serendipity Boutique. Volunteers fill a variety of roles. They take part in events and fundraisers throughout the year. Without our volunteer team, we simply could not offer the quality of service that we currently offer. We are always recruiting and would love to have you on our team”.

For more information about Baldwin House, visit their website: https://baldwinhouse.ca/

Tags: Baldwin HouseCornwall OntarioDebbie FortierInterview
Jason Setnyk

Jason Setnyk

Jason Setnyk is a teacher, journalist, published and award winning author and photographer.

Next Post
How to Beat the Winter Blues – Watch the Monday Morning Motivation show on January 16 at 10am for tools to work with.

How to Beat the Winter Blues - Watch the Monday Morning Motivation show on January 16 at 10am for tools to work with.

Categories

  • Business & Finances (15)
  • Columns (626)
    • Archived (115)
      • Filter-Free Zone (9)
      • For What it's Worth (37)
      • Fostering Change (2)
      • Memo from the Mayor (2)
      • Men Writes (26)
      • Mortgage Tips (1)
      • Seeker Snippets (22)
      • Take Note (6)
      • Which Witch is Witch? (10)
    • Current (389)
      • Appreciating Contemporary Art (2)
      • Discover SD&G (36)
      • Fashionably Marlene (13)
      • From Sharyn's Pantry (7)
      • Gardening – Ask Anna (27)
      • Grant Spills the Gravy (10)
      • Jay's Tech & Cyber Insights (4)
      • Keeping it Reel (27)
      • Local Spins from Bud's Records (9)
      • Louise Mignault (58)
      • Mental Health Matters (10)
      • Out and About (51)
      • Outdoor Club (23)
      • Reality Bytes (8)
      • roadSIGNS (31)
      • Smart Move with Sondra (3)
      • The Resilient Life (5)
      • Transition Cornwall+ (16)
      • What I'm Reading (2)
      • Wondrous Life (33)
      • Yafa Arts & Craft (21)
    • Friends of the Cline House (1)
  • Douris Deliberations (6)
  • Events (1)
  • Health & Fitness (10)
  • Home & Garden (11)
  • Interviews (156)
    • 5 questions with… (106)
    • Business Profiles (1)
    • Locals in the Loupe (47)
  • Leisure & Lifestyle (736)
  • News (2,566)
    • Ontario (1)
  • Politics (24)
    • Federal Elections (10)
    • Provincial Elections (10)
  • Science & Technology (46)
  • Sports (3)
  • The Adventures of D.B Cooper (1)
  • The Soapbox (259)
    • Agree to Disagree (114)
  • This May Also Interest You (1,573)
  • Travel (52)
  • You May Also Like (969)
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
Don't miss anything!

Get notified of all our new news by ringing the bell at the bottom left corner!

Content Safety

HERO

theseeker.ca

Trustworthy

Approved by Sur.ly

2024
Disclaimers
Stock Photos partially provided by our partner Depositphotos
The Seeker Newspaper is located at 327 Second Street E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 -- All rights reserved
The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within.Please note that the views and opinions expressed in news article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Seeker. The content provided is for informational purposes only and has been written from the authors’ perspective, aiming to engage and inform readers. The Seeker is committed to presenting a wide range of viewpoints and encourages readers to conduct their own research and exercise critical thinking when considering these opinions in the context of their own perspectives.
ISSN 2562-1750 (Print)

ISSN 2562-1769 (Online)
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • The Soapbox
  • Columnists
  • Events
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
  • Puzzles
  • Videos

© 2023 Reducing our footprint!   For every issue we print, we plant a tree!

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.