Impact Stories: Emergent Women and Children's Fund

Karla's Story of Support ~ Emergent Women and Children's Fund

Name has been changes to protect the individual's privacy

When Karla was referred to the Community Foundation’s 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 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.