Beendigen seeks support for the "Love You" campaign

THUNDER BAY — Increasing domestic violence and tough economic times are impacting more families in the Thunder Bay area.

It's why the Beendigen Anishinabe Women's Crisis Home & Family Healing Agency is looking to the community for support.

Over the past two years, Beendigen has experienced heightened demand for services from women and children experiencing violence or a risk of violence.

With pandemic safety measures in place, Thunder Bay women were trapped at home with their abusers, and coping mechanisms and in-person support were much harder to access.

More recently, with inflation driving up the cost of living, it's even harder for victims of domestic violence to "just leave," since they must rely on their abusers for basic needs.

Beendigen provides free emergency shelter and essential needs for women and children who require safe accommodations.

Its crisis home is secure, and can accommodate up to 24 clients at a time. 

The home is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Staff also provide crisis and supportive counselling in addition to safety planning.

Beendigen Communications Administrator Cassandra Blair says many women who need safe housing are encountering long wait lists or having difficulty paying the rent as grocery costs go up.

"We are feeling the effects within our shelter, and that's why we are reaching out to the community to let people know what's going on," Blair said in an interview Wednesday.

"The shelter is full at all times. There's never a time when there's a spare bed. It's often over capacity, which means we are using hotels and motels as well. We don't like to turn people away."

Although it is an Indigenous agency, Blair said, "We don't turn away anyone, whatever the person's background. You can stay at our shelter even if you aren't Indigenous."

She added, though, that Indigenous women face extra barriers within the community due to systemic racism.

Beendigen is currently receiving support from Shoppers Drug Mart's country-wide Love You program.

It started on Sept. 10.

Until Oct. 14, community members can make in-store or online donations on the Shoppers website.

"It's a very big campaign that Shoppers runs. We're lucky that this is the third year they've chosen us as their local agency or charity to direct the funds to. People have been very generous the previous years," Blair said.

"It helps out a lot and goes directly to offering the best care, safety and shelter that we can at the crisis home."