Women In Crisis (Algoma) - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Kwe D.

*Data Gathered Locally From Women Impacted Similarly, Sharing Their Experiences Autonomously via “Debwewin Kweg”, (emerging Anishinaabe Kwe founded and operated women’s organization)

Initial Summary of Feedback Received

“Cultural diversity is clearly ‘non-existent’, staff are non-representative’, poorly trained in healthy boundaries, client relationships, and trauma.” - JT

“Staff observed to utilize control tactics over certain marginalized, vulnerable children and women” - MN

“ Staff ignore any follow up planning with clients internally deemed ‘undesirable’ or ‘non-deserving’ of ‘deserving’ women’s charity” - DR

“All of the requested referrals or supports to gain safe housing independence quickly that I asked WIC to provide were never delivered, and the only focus was on how my sole housing search was going as “we need to be accountable for why you are in the shelter”. - MS

“Certain younger staff regularly and daily exercise ignorant and intolerant approaches to working with radicalized women and their children example, one hotel based client and woman brought her autistic child to the shelter to do laundry, and the staff member told her rudely the toy room for children was closed. When the woman raised that point and that he had been cooped up in the hotel room for days, the staff changed her denial after speaking to an unknown other staff member”. BS

“Executive Director is clearly untrained, unapologetic for clear staff failures, and incompetent in dealing with Indigenous women’s issues generally, but particularly those suffering complex crisis situations, inclusive of lifelong trauma and abuse issues. She incurs director’s liability on behalf of all WIC staff, yet obviously can’t be bothered to mitigate legal or human rights complaints due to poorly trained or selected staff.” - FU

“During COVID the shelter became full as they cut beds, so the organization was funded to engage and utilize hotel beds as interim emergency shelter beds for women and children. They apparently failed to anticipate any problems arising in that scenario for women in crisis who may face intolerance or discrimination by hotel staff. Again very ‘white oriented” approach by obviously privileged women.

After false allegations of several racialized women by bigoted and discriminatory 3rd party hotel staff, the women were evicted on mere hours’ notice, some with small and disabled children. WIC sided with the well paid
hotel each time, and refused any further assistance to the women and children ‘at all’.

This abusive tactic revictimized certain if not all, women impacted. It negligently and deliberately left the women in a worse or similar crisis, to that which brought them to WIC for help and safe shelter to begin with! Bizarre much! For some, this included instantaneous homelessness, or a forced return to unsafe and abusive situations, with no where in SSM to turn after. Total failure and abuse of agency mandate.

The WIC governing body needs to “clean house” and start over, or agree to release any and all 3rd party, government or donated funding received annually, x the estimated # of racialized women and children served per year by WIC. One is newly forming ready and willing to care for the most marginalized women in society, with thoughtful staffing inclusive of a visibly DIVERSE, CARING, GENUINE and COMPETENT team all working to truly help give these women the attention and supports necessary to heal, move on or become again independent.” KK

Jubie H.

This place is wonderful! The people here are nice to eachother and you get your own room to your self, unless your with your own child. you can use your phone unless your by yourself or someone around you is fine with it. everyone gets their own chore everyday to do but it can get really annoying, like if you got back here from being at work and they tell u to do a chore, your just not gonna wanna do it! it can get annoying. they dont like it when you dont eat dinner, if your with your own child then when you go to work your kid cant stay at the shelter, he/she has to go some where else sadly.

Tara D.