The Salvation Army Helping Vulnerable Women Rebuild Their Lives In Saskatchewan

Every year thousands of women and children on the prairies are victims of abuse. Sometimes this abuse is at the hands of those they love leaving them thinking they have nowhere to turn. What you may not know is in Saskatchewan’s two major cities, four Salvation Army facilities are a safe haven for many of these victims.

The Salvation Army offers vulnerable women – maternity homes, day nurseries and care centres in both Regina and Saskatoon. In a secure environment healing begins and our most vulnerable women receive the practical help they need to begin rebuilding their lives.

Here’s an inside look at these safe havens of hope and dignity.

In Saskatoon, emergency housing is a common request.  In November 2010, when city shelters were full and overcrowded, The Salvation Army opened Mumford House.

Mumford House, a 40-bed emergency shelter, is a renovated 4-plex that serves women, children, and youth, desperate for refuge during periods of extreme personal crisis and upheaval. They give those in need a safe place to stay during their transition period. Since opening, Mumford House has provided 2,000 adult nights, more than 2,000 child nights, 30 youth nights of safe refuge and has served more than 9,000 meals.

Also in Saskatoon, The Salvation Army celebrated the grand opening of the new Bethany Home in November 2011.

Bethany Home is a residence for young women providing safety and solace; a place of hope and dignity. This new modern day facility, located in a family oriented, quiet, residential neighbourhood, is a transitional unit for girls aged 13 – 18 years who are at risk in their own homes or in the community. They may come with addictions to drugs or alcohol, or have been abused sexually or physically. These young ladies are often experiencing difficulty in school and may have also been involved in illegal activities.

At Bethany Home, they are given the opportunity to learn valuable life skills in a structured environment such as cooking, planning healthy meals, laundry and personal hygiene. They also have the opportunity to learn how to make healthy choices and how to deal with conflict and crisis situations.

“Hope and dignity, safety and acceptance, support and care are all things that we as The Salvation Army strive to provide to the young women who come through our doors,” says Saskatoon Community Services Executive Director Major Malba Holliday. “These facilities’ give us the opportunity to continue this work for young women in our community who are trying to better their lives.”

In Regina, needs continue to grow as well.  Here The Salvation Army offers a safe environment for girls aged 12-to-18 in two different programs under one roof.

The first is Gemma House.  This provides a temporary residential treatment program for girls, aged 12 to 15, who are experiencing difficulties at home. The aim of Gemma House is to return each resident to her family or other appropriate community resources by teaching them how to make positive choices. The program provides information in areas that include self-esteem, sexuality, drug and alcohol use, conflict resolution and family matters.

The other program, Grace Haven, ministers to the needs of 16 to 18 year old pregnant or parenting teenagers and their babies as they seek to attain a greater degree of independence.  Grace Haven provides life skills training in the areas of parenting, household duties and budgeting, as well as inter-personal skills such as communication, conflict resolution and becoming women of character.

Due to growing needs for the programs and services of Grace Haven, The Salvation Army recently secured a new home in Regina’s Harbour Landing neighbourhood to increase bed space.  When Grace Haven moves into its new location, both programs will then have its own dedicated space meaning these havens of hope and dignity are able to grow as required to meet the needs of the women they serve.