How we help women

There was an article in the Ottawa Sun today about the number of women who rely on shelters.

The people who run the shelters say space is tight and that they are sometimes forced to turn women away. When we think of women's shelters, we most often think of safe places for women to go when they are trying to escape an abusive relationship. It's a sad fact that domestic abuse is still a problem in our country.

When people think of Shepherds of Good Hope, many don't know that we are the only homeless shelter that provides services to both men and women. Every night, there are as many as 100 women in our various programs. Some of those women are escaping a violent relationship and have nowhere else to go. They have a terrible choice. Be homeless or stay in danger. Thankfully, Shepherds is another resource for these women.

For other women, their homelessness is a consequence of other factors. They might be suffering from mental illness and/or dealing with addiction issues. It could be they simply can't find good enough employment to allow them to be on their own in their own homes.

The women come to us from different backgrounds, for different reasons, and with different challenges to address. Our Hope Outreach Emergency Shelter for Women has room for 60 women every night.

In addition to providing a safe bed, we have other services in place. We have TESP (transitional emergency shelter program). The women who are part of this program are chronically homeless and have had severe physical and mental health issues. In TESP, they are cared for by trained health care professionals, counsellors and case management workers.

We also have a dedicated Women's Special Care Unit with 16 beds for women who are suffering from severe health conditions. Sometimes our role is to provide treatment, other times it's to coordinate it with the women's existing health care providers. We also provide assessments and referrals for addiction counselling. We help them with housing and we provide life skills, things like how to keep a room clean, how to shop for groceries, skills we take for granted.

Finally, we have Brigid's Place, a housing first complex. There are 11 women who live there. These women have spent a considerable amount of time living on the street. They did what they had to do to survive. Brigid's Place gives them a safe haven where they can start to take the steps necessary to perhaps one day live more independently. Everyone is different. Everyone goes at their own pace. We set no time limit. The women stay at Brigid's Place for as long as they need us.

If you want to learn more about our women's programs, please check out our program and services page. If you would like a tour on our programs specifically for women, please contact me at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.