YWCA - Alder Gardens
Once construction is complete at the YWCA’s Alder Gardens, residents will be able to enjoy all the comforts of home thanks to a $8,581 grant from the Envision Financial Community Endowment, housed with First West Foundation.
The grant will completely furnish one of the complex’s eight transitional housing units for women and children fleeing abusive relationships. According to the YWCA’s Bobbi Tanguay, creating a home-like atmosphere for abuse victims is critical to the healing process. “A lot of these women have left home with nothing but a garbage bag of personal belongings. Imagine living through the emotional and physical pain of an abusive relationship and then arriving to an empty apartment—it just exacerbates the feelings of depression, loss and loneliness these women and children already feel.”
In additional to transitional housing, Alder Gardens will also feature 28 units of supportive housing for low-income single mothers at risk of homelessness.
Built in partnership with B.C. Housing and the City of Surrey, rental rates at Alder Gardens will be determined using a pro-rated, income-based system capped at 30 per cent of a resident’s monthly income. Tanguay says that having access to this kind of affordable housing will enable single mothers to break the vicious cycle of poverty and begin building healthier and more economically-secure lives.
“The women and children staying at Alder Gardens need a safe and secure environment where they can focus on rebuilding their lives,” explains Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation. “Our Foundation is proud to be able to do our part and assist with this transition.”
Alder Gardens will assist up to 108 women and children annually, and will also offer a Transition House Support Worker, Community Development Worker and various YWCA services for employment and legal issues.
YWCA Vancouver is a registered charity, providing a range of integrated services for women and their families, and those seeking to improve the quality of their lives. From early learning and care to housing, health and fitness, employment services and leadership, YWCA Vancouver touches lives in communities throughout Metro Vancouver. Visit www.ywcavan.org for more information
