Destinee’s Story (*Name has been changed to protect the individual's privacy)

I’ll never forget the day the power was shut off. My two-year-old son and I sat in the dark, and all I could think was, how did it come to this? I had no money left to pay the bill, and rent was due in just a few days. Then the eviction notice came. I felt completely helpless. I tried to stay strong for my son, but the fear of losing our home was overwhelming. It felt like everything was slipping away—our safety, our routine, our stability.

That’s when my support worker told me about the Emergent Women and Children’s Fund. I applied, not knowing what would happen, but it gave me a glimmer of hope. When I found out I had been approved for $2,000 to help cover my rent and utilities, I cried. Real, gut-deep relief. This support changed everything. I was able to turn the power back on, pay our rent, and most importantly, breathe again. I didn’t have to choose between keeping a roof over our heads and feeding my child. This funding didn’t just keep us housed—it gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time: confidence. I feel safer. More secure. I can focus on caring for my son instead of constantly worrying about survival. It reminded me that I’m not alone, and that better days are possible. I don’t know where we’d be without this support. All I know is now, when my son wakes up, he wakes up warm, in his own bed, with a mom who believes we’ll be okay. By using this fund she was able to use it for costs associated with moving (rent, initial deposit, rental arrears that was preventing her from finding new housing, utilities setup/arrears, moving and transportation). She also used it to purchase necessary furniture as well as kids clothing and school supplies.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her to find a safe, secure home for herself and her children; she's able to have a fresh start.

Sarah’s Story (*Name has been changed to protect the individual's privacy)

When Sarah learned she had received emergency funding through the SSCF Vital Community Emergent Women and Children’s Fund, she could not believe it. In that moment, everything shifted. She had been living day to day in fear, knowing she was on her final notice before eviction. With rent and utility arrears piling up and no options left, no more resources to turn to, no family to lean on, this was her last chance at holding onto a safe place to live. “This is so amazing,” she said. “My baby can come home again.” What she received was not just financial support. It was a lifeline.

The emergency funds helped Sarah clear what she owed, covering her rent and utility bills just in time to stop her eviction. That one act of support opened a door she thought had already closed. “I can get sober now,” she shared. “I can stay here, and I won’t be homeless.” Having safe, stable housing gave her the foundation she needed to focus on healing, on her journey of growth, betterment, and becoming the parent she wants to be. After months of surviving in crisis mode, this gift gave her room to breathe and begin again.

“I can get my baby back,” she said through tears. “That’s the big thing.” This was not just about shelter. It was about rebuilding a life. About hope, and the chance to create a safe, loving home. “I was on the verge of a downward spiral,” Sarah admitted. “This just changed everything for me. I’m so thankful.” The SSCF Emergent Women and Children’s Fund did more than keep a roof over her head. It gave her the power to stay, to grow, and to reclaim her future.

Karla’s Story (*Name has been changed to protect the individual's privacy)

When Karla was referred to the SSCF Emergent Women and Children’s Fund administered by YWCA Regina, she and her two children were living in a second-stage domestic violence shelter. A full-time student and single mother, Karla was doing everything she could to hold her family together—pursuing her education, caring for her children, and trying to build a life free from violence. But the financial aftermath of fleeing abuse—including rental arrears, utility debt, and unpaid internet bills—threatened her ability to move forward.

This emergency grant helped Karla address those critical gaps. With the support, she paid off past-due rent, cleared utility bills, and restored internet access—an essential resource for her education, her children’s schooling, and staying connected to the outside world.

“Receiving this grant made a huge difference in my life during one of the most difficult times I’ve ever faced,” Karla shared. “Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to secure safe housing for us.”

The grant gave her a bridge out of shelter and into long-term stability. It enabled her to begin rebuilding with dignity and without the looming fear of where they would go next.

“This support helped keep us afloat,” she wrote. “It gave us the chance to start again, to feel a sense of hope, and to know that we’re not alone.”

Today, Karla says things are “much better.” She feels safer, more stably housed, and better able to care for her children. With her debts cleared, she can focus on her studies and on healing.

“This money gave us more than just financial help. It gave us a chance to move forward, to breathe, and to begin building a new chapter with dignity and hope.”

Her story demonstrates the profound and immediate impact of direct emergency funding—especially when it’s paired with trust, low-barrier access, and a belief in every woman’s right to start again.

She was leaving an abusive relationship, their son has a disability and the fighting triggers him, and the husband wouldn't let her work. She's starting over, needs to get on SIS and start looking for work, she left with only a few bags of clothes for herself and her children.

By using this fund she was able to use it for costs associated with moving (rent, initial deposit, rental arrears that was preventing her from finding new housing, utilities setup/arrears, moving and transportation). She also used it to purchase necessary furniture as well as kids clothing and school supplies.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her to find a safe, secure home for herself and her children; she's able to have a fresh start.

She was leaving an abusive relationship and is staying in shared housing with her children while trying to get a place of her own.

By using this fund she was able to use it for costs associated with rent and a utilities deposit.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her to leave a violent situation and to continue living in safety.

She is currently living with her brother, and needed to get utilities reconnected and rent paid to keep their housing.

By using this fund she was able to use it for costs associated with rent, furniture, and a utilities deposit.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her avoid eviction and pay off their utilities so they can be turned back on.

She is living on social assistance and is working hard to reduce her rental arrears that accumulated while fleeing with her children from a violent relationship in Manitoba - she fled to Saskatchewan to seek safety and a fresh start with her children. Once her rental arrears debt is paid, she will be able to secure independent housing for her family. They are currently staying at Sofia House.

By using this fund she was able to use it for costs associated with rental arrears.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her to have hope of graduating from university in the future as the funding has enabled her and her children to live in safety away from her abuser.

She needs to pay for utilities arrears debt in order to find new, stable housing.

By using this fund she was able to use it for settling her utilities arrears.

The impact of having access to these funds has allowed her to leave an abusive relationship and find safe, stable housing for herself and her son after leaving the shelter.

She left an abusive relationship and is staying in a shelter with her children. She needs additional money to find proper housing.

By using this fund she was able to use it for rent as well as the rent deposit.

The impact of having access to these funds has had a positive effect on the family. She has appreciated being able to safely stay in a shelter with her children, but is excited to live in her own home again with her children where they can feel safe.

I was introduced to the program when I was staying at My Aunt’s Place / Beehive. My biggest barrier then was to find stable housing for me and my two children before Christmas. My worker who helped non-stop was able to get us into the HDL. Being a part of this program has helped a lot from housing, doctor appointments, Food Bank, taking the kid for Santa pictures. Now that we are housed and settled in, I’m excited to start working on getting back into school and getting the kid in daycare.

I first got connected to YWCA Outreach in 2019 while I was staying at the women’s shelter called My Aunt’s Place. I soon after got my own room at the McIntyre location on the residence floor. I was slowly gaining my independency back. They had different programs available, including being able to connect with a “Outreach Support Worker” who offers all types of support and information you need. I got connected to Morgan and she’s helped me with so much. The positive support I’ve received from the YWCA is unbelievable.

Background with Client (Written by YWCA Worker): Joanne came into the Isabel Johnson Centre in February of 2023. She was then connected to Outreach and added to my caseload. Since working with Joanne, she has been able to flee her violent relationship, build confidence, get counselling for her IPV, implement strategies to improve her mental well-being, stay sober and regularly attend meetings and get her grand-daughter into her care.

Joanne's Testimony: You have helped me big time, if I didn’t find you as a support I don’t know where I would be. Without your support I don’t know if I would have been able to maintain my sobriety while I was leaving and fleeing from my husband. You have helped me stay positive and helped me believe that anything is possible for me – helped me believe that I could have the life I wanted and dreamed of. My experience working with you has been so good, I can say that it has been a positive experience and because of that the outcomes have been positive. Even if I was having a rough time you were always on that path with me, helping me get through it. Even just coming into the office and seeing the girls' faces (Outreach Team) turned my days around. My highlight working with you has been just meeting you and seeing how much compassion you have for the job and people you work with, including myself.

Back-History (Written by YWCA Worker): I have been working with Aleksandra since September 2022, just over a year now. Aleksandra is from Ukraine and struggles to navigate the Canadian Systems. Since working with Aleksandra we have created a great working relationship which has aided her in confidence, making her own decisions & being empowered by those decisions, navigating the Canadian Systems, employment, and improving employment skills. Recently Aleksandra has started a course for Administrative Assistant – she hopes that with this she will be able to leave her current employment at Value Village and move to a place of her own with her son.

Aleksandra’s Testimony: How my work has helped Aleksandra: “It is hard to put it in the right words, but if I did not have you I wouldn’t know what to do. You are someone that I can always turn to when I am going through the tough stuff. Sometimes I know you do stuff for me that maybe you don’t need to do, but I am always grateful that you show up for me to help me with things. You have helped me find different resources that I didn’t know about to aid in my situation. I have found working with you a great experience, you are always doing your best for me and give 110%. My favourite part about our working relationship is the trust I have developed with you. I can trust you 100%.”

I was a client of the YWCA’s Outreach program in 2021, and I can honestly say that they helped give me my life back. I had been a regular client of the outreach program for years during my addiction, so I knew most of the staff quite well. On July 05, 2021, I decided that I had enough of suffering on the streets from addiction and put myself into detox. I had nowhere to go, and I was fleeing violence, so detox got me a bed in the shelter at YWCA’s, “My Aunt’s Place”. It was in late September that I got assigned to a case worker from their outreach program and her name was Morgan Dominix. Morgan went above and beyond what her job detailed to ensure that I was safe, she provided me with clothing and anything else that I may have needed. Most importantly she provided me with support and became a friend. She didn’t treat me like most people did, those people that look at you like you're not worth helping. Something that stood out about their program is that they didn’t judge me, there was zero bias, and they didn’t stigmatize me. Morgan cared enough about my rights as a human that she even went to bat for me with a doctor who not only stigmatized me but wronged me as a patient. I was only supposed to be a client of hers until I got stable, but she even stayed in my life a little bit longer just to make sure I was completely on my feet. Morgan didn’t have to do that; she just truly cared. I had been without teeth for several years and had sores in my mouth from it. Social Services wouldn’t pay for them because it hadn’t been five years. Morgan and her boss went above and beyond and paid for dentures for me. That was the day the addict in me died. I could now look in the mirror and see the person I was truly becoming. All the help that the outreach program provided for me was the base for my recovery from addiction today. Today I am nearing two and a half years clean from drugs and am halfway through college taking an Addictions and Healthcare Professional program and on my way to becoming an addictions counsellor. If it were not for the support they provided me, helping me to get a home, and for building a foundation for me to walk on, I probably would never have had the opportunity to be where I am today.

The YWCA Outreach program is an asset to our community and a program that provides women with the support they need during the most traumatic moments of their lives. Thousands of women and girls depend on this program. Women like me.

You cannot imagine the stress of lugging 3 children plus all of your laundry to a laundromat. You cannot imagine the way mothers are judged if their children do not have on clean fresh clothing each day. You hopefully can remember how much laundry is generated by 3 littles.

The best “gift” I ever received as a single mother, overcoming the impact of IPV and trying to rebuild a safe home for my children, was a used washer and dryer and someone to safely install it for me. I cried with joy and relief for hours.

That washer and dryer saved me at least $40 a week on laundry costs (cab fare 2 ways plus quarters for the machines). When one of my children insisted on wearing the same outfit daily (a phase they outgrew thankfully) I was able to wash it each night and prevent a meltdown each day. When the children were sick or had an accident, I could wash the bedding immediately and avoid having the soiled bedding in a bag or basket until the next trip to the laundromat.

It made my life so much easier. It made me feel supported. I still give thanks each day as I hug my machines with gratitude.

Gift Cards:

I won’t go into detail, but I needed a great deal of support after my abusive partner was removed from the home. We (the children and I) basically had to start from scratch. I had one in diapers and one preschooler at the time.

The thing I appreciated the most when I received it was gift cards. I could buy the things my preschooler preferred to eat. I could chose the formula and diapers that worked for my infant. I could purchase cake mixes and even small gifts to celebrate a child’s birthday. Grocery store gift cards, Dollarama gift cards, Walmart gift cards were my favourite. I sometimes got gift cards for places that I knew kind hearted folks meant for me to treat myself, however, it was the ones that improved the situation for my children that I appreciated the most.

I used to work for an agency that had a great deal of community support. We were a counselling and advocacy agency for women impacted by IPV.

We had one closet where we stored toys, toiletries and self care baskets that were donated. While in session I had several women who were extremely heartbroken that it was their kid’s birthday (or the child had been invited to a birthday party) and their budget just would not support purchasing a gift. Many tears were shed. The mom’s felt like a failure. Taking the woman to that closet to pick out a gift (and load her up on shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, etc.) was the highlight of my day.

While the moms attended group, this agency provided childcare for the children. When it was a mom’s birthday, or Mother’s Day was approaching, the childcare worker would take the kids to the closet to pick out a gift. The beaming smiles and pride the children felt to be able to give their mom a gift was one of the most heartwarming things I ever witnessed.

It doesn’t take a lot to make a huge difference in these families' lives. I was so grateful to our donors for allowing me the opportunity to assist.