Red Deer's Shawna Wyatt wins provincial Community Justice Award
Wyatt leads HomeFront's Red Deer program, which supports survivors of domestic violence and coordinates response across justice and community agencies.
Why it matters
The award highlights efforts to improve support and coordination for domestic violence survivors in the Red Deer region.
Shawna Wyatt, program manager for HomeFront in Red Deer, has received a provincial Community Justice Award from the Alberta government. HomeFront has operated in Calgary for 26 years and expanded its programming into Red Deer in May 2024.
According to the province, Wyatt has helped increase awareness of services, strengthen referral pathways between agencies, and build partnerships across justice and community sectors. She works with police, Crown prosecutors, Child and Family Services, Community Corrections and other community agencies to engage with domestic violence survivors early, assess risk, develop safety plans and connect people with support as they navigate the justice system.
Wyatt told rdnewsNOW that closing communication gaps between agencies has been especially meaningful, saying it reflects progress toward a more coordinated response to domestic violence in Red Deer and surrounding communities. She said the recognition also underscores the need for an organization like HomeFront in the region.
Mike Ellis, Alberta's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, congratulated this year's recipients, saying the awards aim to highlight local contributions that often go unrecognized. The provincial Community Justice Awards recognized individuals, teams and organizations across five categories, including victim support, crime prevention, offender rehabilitation and disaster readiness.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.