Financial support

The president of a local First Nation women’s shelter says they sometimes have to turn abused women away because they’re filled to capacity.

“We’re really filling up our space,” Josephine Mandamin, president of Beendigen Native Women Crisis Home, said.

“They sometimes have to leave their communities. In Northwestern Ontario, there’s no transportation so they have to wait sometimes. They have to wait for that flight to get out. Until then they have to find a place to stay that’s safe until the planes come.”

The women’s shelter was first established more than 20 years ago. Mandamin said they offer shelter to women who have been abused and help them transition to a new home. On average, the facility helps more than a hundred women per year but can only house 14 at one time.

Mandamin suspects that the number of women who use the shelter has been growing.

She said they’re looking at possibly expanding in order to provide more temporary housing for women.

“The troubles that they are going through are really difficult for them especially if they are from fly in communities,” she said. “There’s a need for another shelter of some kind.”

Faye Peterson Transition House executive director Debbie Zweep said they’re also seeing an increase in the number of women who use the centre’s outreach program. Faye Peterson works with about 600 women through the program.

Both women’s shelters received a donation of $3,000 from Royal LePage Lannon Realty Brokerage at a media conference Monday. The money will go toward helping women transition to new homes as well as pay for crucial items like food.

Although Zweep welcomed the financial support, she said it didn’t matter how much was raised as long as the community was aware of the issue.

“This is about violence against women and the community is out there support us to raise funds,” she said. “It’s about the community coming together for this very important initiative.”