While women's shelter, Genesis House, remained open during the recent health situation, organizers say they have overcome many additional challenges and changes to services with social distancing in mind.

In the 2019/2020 fiscal year South Central Committee on Family Violence Inc. (Genesis House) provided shelter to 48 women and 60 children.

Genesis House Executive Director Ang Braun explains they were able to access additional funding through the Emergency Community Support Fund. The Government of Canada project partnered with Community Foundations Canada and also the United Way who in turn partnered with their local chapters of Community Foundations and United Way.

Through the Emergency Community Support Fund Genesis House was able to apply to the Morden Foundation for support to provide a part time cook on site.

Genesis House's service area.

"Due to the communal nature of service delivery it became important to avoid multiple individuals in the kitchen at one time. The position of kitchen manager has assisted by limiting the number of individuals in that space, prepared nutritious meals, and by providing individually prepared and wrapped snacks for families," Braun says.

Genesis House was also able to access the Emergency Community Support Fund in partnership with the United Way to address food insecurity. Braun explains the grant will allow Genesis House to deliver outreach programming in some of the furthest communities in our service area including Roseau River First Nation, Swan Lake First Nation and Morris. Each community will be visited 10 times, with 10 women participating in group programming and each receiving a meal in a bag with an approximate value of $10.

South Central Committee on Family Violence Inc. (Genesis House) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a confidential service, which includes a shelter for abused women and their children, supportive residential and non-residential programs and prevention through public education to empower women and their children to make informed choices.

Learn more here: https://www.genesishouseshelter.ca/index.php