EDMONTON – An emergency shelter for women and children is reopening after receiving a substantial donation.
Renee Gouin-Katz’s $250,000 donation to Edmonton’s WIN III will allow the shelter to open its doors in 2014.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of this cause and to support such a forward-thinking organization as it sets an example for culturally sensitive women’s shelters around the world,” said Gouin-Katz.
WIN III opened in 2010 as a pilot project by Edmonton Women’s Shelter (EWS).
The emergency shelter has provided in-house nursing, counselling and outreach services to immigrant, refugee and human trafficked women and children, and helped them transition into Canadian society. The majority of the women who have received help from the shelter are new to Canada, do not speak English, and have endured domestic abuse and exploitation.
EWS says in 2012, the emergency shelter received 2,800 crisis calls and provided temporary emergency shelter to 409 women and 536 children. WIN III closed last month due to a lack of funding.
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“This extraordinary gift will make it possible to reopen WIN III’s doors so that we may continue providing life-saving services to the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Jeanine Fraser, Executive Director of EWS.
The emergency shelter will be renamed “Carol’s House” in honour of Gouin-Katz’s mother, Carol Gouin, an Edmontonian who supported women’s causes during her life.
The reason no official open date has been given is because Edmonton Women’s Shelter continues to work with various organization on coming up with a sustainable funding model. But they are moving in the right direction, they say, and plan to have the facility open as soon as possible.
“We have directed administration to provide logistic support to WIN house in order to secure funding from the community, but also long-term sustainable funding from the province. and the federal government,” said Councillor Amarjeet Sohi.
“I know the community has really rallied around WIN house, and Win III in particular. And that’s the strength of Edmonton,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “I’d like to see that shelter open again, soon, because we know the need is great for those women, who are in very, very difficult circumstances.”
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News
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