Aklavik Indian Band board member Rita Arey says the community, in desperate need of an emergency women’s shelter, recently opened one inside its wellness centre.
Arey, who is also the Beaufort Delta representative for the Status of Women Council of the NWT, said almost 35 people took part in a community wellness open house in August last year.
She said that’s where a women’s shelter was discussed as a “key priority.”
“It was stressed by the RCMP, social services and the GNWT wellness department that this was definitely a need for our community and, most importantly, it was for the women and children who are in need of this service,” Arey told Cabin Radio last week.
“The community has worked hard since then to make this a reality. We secured funding, we had space and our opening was on August 30. And today, the shelter opens its doors every Friday to Monday from 4pm to 8am.”
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Arey said the community has limited space for this kind of program, which is why it was decided that the wellness centre would make room at weekends for the women’s shelter.
On weekdays, the centre offers activities like hot breakfasts, adult drop-ins, a women’s support group and a community food bank.
The centre also includes four housing units operated through Northern Pathways, described by the GNWT as “a supportive housing program aimed at addressing homelessness in small communities outside of Yellowknife.”
Arey said those units “support people that have been couch-surfing or they don’t have a place to call their home.” A wellness worker and coordinator work at the facility.
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Each weekend, from Friday evening until Monday morning, the centre is only open to people who wish to access the shelter.
“We do a lot of advertising within the community. We have a lot of connections with other agencies – in particular with the health centre, with RCMP and the wellness workers – so that they are aware we do have shelter for women and children,” Arey said.
“We have four women that work at the shelter. One does the breakfast and she totally takes care of the breakfast throughout the week. Then we have three other workers that go on shift work.
“It’s a busy little place.”
