Province tabs $1.5M for Indigenous-led safe space – Winnipeg Free Press

An Indigenous-led center serving sexually exploited women and survivors of gender-based violence will receive $1.5 million in annual operating funding from the Manitoba government.

Velma’s House is a 24-7 safe space for women operating in Winnipeg. It is a project of Ka Ni Kanichihk, a resource center offering Indigenous-led programs for employment and education, trauma recovery and counselling, youth and families, mentorship and more.

“There is an increasing need for 24-7 safe spaces for vulnerable women in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba,” Families Minister Rochelle Squires said Thursday in a release.

The funding will support the operations of Velma’s House and provide access to supports, meals, services and shelter around the clock. It is open to anyone 18 and older who identifies as female, including those from the gender-diverse community, according to the province.

It is a judgement-free center where people are accepted as relatives. People are offered hygiene supplies, laundry, shower facilities, employment counseling, housing and health-care system navigation, in addition to other supports at Velma’s House.

Ka Ni Kanichihk executive director Yvonne Jordaan said the people using services at Velma’s House face significant barriers in all facets of their lives.

“Velma’s House is the one place they can go where the doors are always open,” Jordaan said.

The funding was announced on Manitoba Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is marked on Thursday during the second full week of March each year.

—Staff