Our Vision

Little Warriors is a national charitable organization focused on the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse.

We also advocate on behalf of and with child sexual abuse survivors.

Our Mission

  • Raise awareness and provide information about child sexual abuse.
  • Advocate to ensure the rights, needs and interests of children are respected and protected.
  • Provide child sexual abuse prevention strategies to adults through education.
  • Provide a treatment facility to help children cope with the devastating effects of child sexual abuse.

Goals and Objectives

Awareness

Empower and inform adults, through culturally sensitive preventative education and resources, to help prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Engage and educate adults on the statistics and impact of child sexual abuse through annual awareness campaigns, social media, fundraisers, networking and prevention workshops.

Provide local and national resources and information.

Prevention

Spread the message of responsibility, action and hope through trained, committed volunteers to deliver in-person prevention workshops to adults across Canada.

Equip adults with a toolkit of child sexual abuse prevention strategies, through the delivery of a research-based child sexual abuse prevention workshop.

Reduce the risk of child sexual abuse within organizations by encouraging them to incorporate mandatory child sexual abuse prevention policies and procedures.

Treatment

Provide a safe, secure, culturally inclusive multi-modal, trauma informed treatment centre for children and youth who have been sexually abused.

Deliver evidence based, ethical clinical practices that reduce mental health related issues and enrich outcomes for children and youth.

Work collaboratively with other community organizations and service providers to provide continuous, high quality care for children and youth.

Advocacy

Advocate to ensure the rights, interests, needs and viewpoints of vulnerable children and adolescents who have been affected by child sexual abuse are respected and protected.

Support children and adolescents impacted by providing scientific research and relevant data to policymakers and decision-makers in government.

Encourage more clinical research studying the effects of child sexual abuse and the benefits of therapeutic support for child survivors, and advocate for evidence-based policies and procedures to protect children from sexual abuse.

FAQ

  • What is the history of Little Warriors?

    Little Warriors was granted charitable status in February 2007. Since that time, a team of dedicated volunteers and staff have worked to create an action based charitable organization to bring awareness, offer prevention education and treatment for children who have experienced child sexual abuse.

    Glori Meldrum founded Little Warriors in August 2005. She was inspired to help all children who had been sexually abused because of her past experience as a survivor of child sexual abuse.

  • Where are you located?

    The Little Warriors head office is located at the Be Brave Ranch. Due to our efforts to keep the children attending the Be Brave Ranch safe we do not disclose our location to the general public.

    Our mailing address is:

    Little Warriors/Be Brave Ranch
    PO Box 3184
    Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2T2

    *Prevent It! Taking Action To Stop Child Sexual Abuse workshops are offered in various cities across Canada. Please click here for more information on the Prevent It! workshop and the schedule.

  • What is the Be Brave Ranch?

    The Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch by Ray LaBonte and Family is a specialized, intensive, trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment centre focused on helping children who have been sexually abused, as well as their families. The Be Brave Ranch program offers a one-year combined onsite and outpatient program designed with significant input from many leading academic and clinical experts who specialize in child sexual abuse and trauma.

  • What is the Prevent It! Workshop?

    The evidence-based education workshop was developed by researchers at the University of Alberta and research shows it significantly improves attitudes, knowledge and behaviour. This workshop is unique in Canada and was developed using research-informed methods and evaluated with scientific rigour.

    The Prevent It! workshop offers hope to help prevent child sexual abuse. This hope comes from the knowledge that adults who take it can become more supportive of children and begin using more behaviours that are believed to reduce children’s vulnerability to sexual abuse. The Prevent It! workshop educates adults to take action through gaining knowledge to help prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.

    Individuals can attend workshops in communities across Canada where it is offered, take the workshop online from your home or workplace or book a facilitator to come to your location to host a workshop for your group. For more information on group bookings or to register for the Prevent It! workshop click here or email preventit@littlewarriors.ca.

  • How did Little Warriors get its name?

    The name Little Warriors was inspired by a painting. The spirit of a warrior lives within every victim of child sexual abuse. The imagery of a warrior is linked to child sexual abuse because victims need the strength and spirit of their inner warrior to face their experiences and heal. Like a warrior, these children also need the help, compassion, support and love of many people (like a tribe), to overcome the many obstacles they will face.

  • What does it mean to be a Little Warrior?

    Little Warriors are survivors. They are children and adult survivors of child sexual abuse learning to heal their hearts, bodies and minds. They are trying to understand that the guilt and shame they may feel is not their burden to carry, but belongs to their perpetrator. They are learning to love and be honest with themselves and while learning to accept love and support from the people who care about them the most.

  • How is Little Warriors funded?

    Little Warriors does not receive funding from either the national or provincial governments, and is not a United Way funded agency.

    Little Warriors is funded privately through individual donors, corporate donations, grants and third-party fundraising events/initiatives.  We host two major fundraising event each year, the Be Brave Luncheon in Edmonton each spring and the Little Warriors Golf Tournament each fall. Many donations of products, services, supplies and equipment have also been made by a large number of supporters. Visit the Supporters tab on this website to view all of our wonderful donors and supporters.

  • Is Little Warriors a national charity?

    Although the Little Warriors office is located in Alberta, Little Warriors has a national reach. Our goal is to have trained facilitators teach the Prevent It! workshop across the country. Children from all over Canada that meet the criteria are invited to apply to come to the Be Brave Ranch program.

    Little Warriors has also compiled a list of healing and support resources throughout Canada, which will continually be updated.

     

  • How can I get involved and help Little Warriors?

    Visit the You Can Help section on this website. Thank you!

Acknowledgement

Little Warriors would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional lands, referred to as Treaty 6 Territory. We are all beneficiaries of this peace and friendship treaty. Treaty 6 encompasses the traditional territories of Indigenous People that includes numerous western Canadian First Nations as well as the Métis people who have called this area home for many years. Little Warriors is dedicated to ensuring that the spirit of Treaty 6 is honoured and respected.