Wraparound services at the YWCA
An overview of the new and improved YWCA facility
The YWCA Regina has officially opened its kikaskihtânaw Centre for Women and Families, a transformative facility designed to address the pressing needs of vulnerable women, children and families in Regina. Located at 2817 12th Ave, this 96,000 sq. ft centre replaces the aging McIntyre Street location and represents a significant step towards trauma-informed care and wraparound services under one roof.
Aiming to bring multiple services together at one location, this $70 million project fosters hope, healing, and independence. Its funding came from donors, community partners, and all three levels of government, according to CTV News.
According to the CEO of YWCA Regina, Melissa Commber-Bendsten, “The Centre for Women and Families has been designed for self-sustainability. This new building provides YWCA Regina and its partner organizations the ability to do our work in a way that is better for the community and provides strength and stability to the organizations. This Centre, will offer stronger connection and greater scope of work with zero increase to operational cost.”
The new center was intended to provide wrap-around services, “community multi-purpose spaces, access to drop-in supports, communal kitchens and play areas. It will also include a healing and ceremony lodge,” according to CTV News in June 2022.
Now that it is built and operational, the center offers shelter for women and children dealing with domestic violence and homelessness, community outreach, childcare, and wraparound services, according to a more recent CTV News article from July 2024.
According to societ.com, wraparound services are “a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that are tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals and families. The goal is to create a comprehensive plan that addresses all aspects of a person’s life.” These include mental and physical health, education, employment, housing, and social relationships.
At the YWCA, residents of their shelter can now access these services. Once admitted, they work closely with staff to create plans aimed at recovery and long-term empowerment.
The proposed healing and sweat lodge also made it into the final build. Coomber-Bendtsen said, “It has been designed by and led by Indigenous women giving their opinions to our architect team, who have learned a lot about Indigenous ways of knowing and being through that process.”
According to Coomber-Bendtsen, the All Nations Hope Network (ANHN) will oversee it. As an Indigenous organization led by community matriarchs, the ANHN educates and performs ceremonies with urban Indigenous peoples. The lodge space was handed to ANHN with a 99-year lease to preserve it as a healing space in the community. The cost of the lease… was one dollar.
Homeless Hub is a project from The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and they have done Homelessness Counts in Regina in 2018 and 2021. In 2021, 488 people experienced homelessness; 43 per cent identified as female, and 26 per cent identified as youth aged 24 and under.
Many people are turned away from homeless shelters due to space limitations. According to their website hereforher.ca, the kikaskihtânaw Centre for Women and Families offers 72 supportive housing suites and 41 emergency beds.
The centre is more than just a building – it is a beacon of hope for many generations. By creating a haven that combines shelter with comprehensive support systems, the YWCA Regina is not only meeting immediate needs but also supporting the prevention of future crises.
It fills a vital need in Regina by offering safety, stability, and empowerment to women and families facing adversity. Aligned with the organization’s mission to foster resilience while addressing systemic challenges through trauma-informed care, reconciliation efforts, and wraparound services, this facility promises to be a cornerstone of hope and transformation in the community.
