There are two types of women’s shelters typically. There are emergency shelters which provide emergency shelter for women and children when they are fleeing violence in their homes. Stays in emergency shelters are generally allowed for 1- 3 months, but in some cases longer. A second stage shelter provides longer-term, safe, affordable, supportive, and independent housing. Shelter addresses are often kept confidential so that women (and children) cannot be found. You can generally stay in these homes for 1-3 months and sometimes longer. There is no charge for you to stay there.
In our own community, Naomi’s Family Resource Centre provides services, resources, shelter, and support to women who are victims of family violence. Violence can be physical, emotional, verbal or sexual. Accessing Naomi’s Centre is strictly confidential. The Centre also offers transitional housing, support groups, children’s groups, as well as referrals for legal, medical, financial, housing, and employment supports. The crisis line operates 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Shelter is provided for women with or without children. Counselling includes both crisis counselling and ongoing assistance.
Naomi’s Centre needs financial support, as well as clothing, goods, and volunteers. Like many women’s shelters across the country, Naomi’s Centre has been impacted by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, which makes it difficult for many organizations to secure donations.
The Ontario Budget delivered on March 24 announced, as part of a provincial initiative to support victims of crime, a one-time emergency payment of $2.7 million to keep 50 community agencies running. Another one-time payment of $1 million is intended to help agencies switch to remote delivery, including setting up toll-free numbers and developing text and other online platforms. As part of Ontario’s response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Ontario has allocated $18.2 million over three years to enhance First Nations police services for sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence investigations, as well as to provide “culturally responsive programming to Indigenous women in the correctional system.”
Naomi’s Family Resource Centre 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-774-2838, or 1-800-267-0395
