Financial security for a safe haven

"We offer a space that’s safe for women, meeting their basic needs and then helping women take the next step towards positive change.” – Fiona York, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre

For many of Vancouver’s most vulnerable women, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre is a safe refuge. In addition to serving a hot and nutritious lunch to more than 300 women each day, the women-only Centre offers an emergency shelter, provides basic necessities like clothing and toiletries, and offers a range of support services to help women make positive changes in their lives.

Fiona York, the Centre's Fund Development Coordinator, emphasizes the importance of creating safe, women-only spaces for an already vulnerable population. “The majority of services in our community, by default, are male-focused, which can make them inappropriate for women. We offer a space that’s safe for women, meeting their basic needs and then helping women take the next step towards positive change.”

In early 2012 Vancity extended a line of credit to the Centre. This gives Centre employees peace of mind, knowing they would be able to continue providing the programs that make such a difference to women’s lives if they should ever face a short-term cash-flow issue. The Centre also received Vancity grants of $10,000 each in 2005 and 2012.

Vancity believes in supporting organizations like the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre that are making a positive, lasting difference to our communities.