Women’s Community House, one of the largest women’s shelters in Canada, is celebrating 35 years of serving the London community.

A number of events are planned for the coming months to commemorate the June 5th anniversary, including a ‘Stories of Change’ project and a celebration of the shelter’s ‘Founding Mothers.’

On Wednesday, Kate Wiggins, the shelter’s executive director and London Mayor Joe Fontana will be among those at the shelter’s Clarke Road location to announce the festivities.

Wiggins says it’s about “That pivotal moment in your life when you decide ‘I deserve to be happy, I deserve to be treated better, my children deserve more.”

Women’s Community House (WCH) says more than 24,000 women and children have been helped by their shelters, with about 6,000 assisted each year.

WCH provides high security shelter for abused women and their children, as well as crisis counselling and support.