Prince Albert YWCA CEO Donna Brooks. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

SUPPORT FOR YWCA

Province provides over $680K for residential services at P.A. YWCA

Sep 11, 2023 | 3:00 PM

Women, youth, and families fleeing violent situations will have more spaces to go to in Prince Albert thanks to an investment from the provincial government.

On Monday, MLAs Alana Ross and Jim Lemaigre joined staff at the YWCA Our House for the funding announcement, which includes $686,376 for residential services.

CEO of the YWCA Prince Albert Donna Brooks gave some specific details as to what the funding will go towards.

“What it goes towards is at Central Avenue, it goes towards 20 beds for women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence or in the state of crisis where they could experience violence,” she said, adding that they also have four beds for youth and 12 beds at Our House for women fleeing violent situations.

Since 2021, Our House and Central Avenue have received nearly $1.67 million, including $570,358 in 2023-24, to provide targeted services for women and their children experiencing interpersonal violence and abuse.​

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The Youth Residential Support Services program provides safe, supervised living environments for at-risk youth aged 16-17 who are involved in the criminal justice system. That program will receive $116,018 in 2023-24 with a total of $348,054 over three years.

Following the announcement, Brooks also touched on the greater issue of homelessness in Prince Albert and while the organization and the city are still working on a permanent shelter, she said the province’s funding on Monday will help address the issue.

“The women that we provide the shelter for and the youth would be homeless without these beds,” she said.

“Right now, the gap in this city is a permanent shelter for people who are homeless and currently using. We’re all working towards it as a community.”

Thanks to help from the province, the YWCA was able to open the Stepping Stones winter shelter last year on the Exhibition Grounds, which helped 445 people from November to the end of April.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

@princealbertnow