“My goal was to have stability for my child. I had moved 10 times in five years and there, I was promised that I could stay here if I did what I had to do…” And what did you have to do, exactly? “Work on me. »
Dalia Vallée was 22 when she moved into one of Mothers with Power’s transitional housing. It was in 2021. She was then a single mother of a 2-year-old child, isolated, and looking for a place to settle down after having experienced drug addiction up close.
She spent a year on a waiting list before leaving her three and a half “too expensive for [elle] and infestations of all kinds” to settle in one of the 30 apartments offered by the organization.
Thanks to Mothers with Power, single women have five years to complete a life project, such as getting a job, going back to school or earning a diploma. To regain their momentum, they have the right to a roof at a lower cost and to a place in daycare for their little ones, as well as to training and activities to foster the bonds that unite them with their children and with society.
“Just being able to bond with other women was a big step for me,” Dalia told me. I come from the world of prostitution, I was very suspicious. The groups for young mothers allowed me to work with others. This support really gave me confidence. »
If you can learn to be a mother, you can also learn to rely on others. Even when life has often disappointed us. Here, the mothers are between 17 and 40 years old, approximately. All of them have a child under 3 years old when they arrive. A child and scars.
“Many of these women have backgrounds in youth centers or have grown up in a disadvantaged environment, explained to me Valérie Larouche, Executive Director of Mothers with Power. Others weren’t destined to be in a vulnerable situation, but a break in their journey has occurred… What they are told is: come and drop off, think of what you want to accomplish and we will help you with clearing to facilitate the patent! »
Dalia Vallée wanted to go back to school. Through the band, she discovered a passion for community life. She is now vice-president of the board of directors of Mothers with power and regularly lends a hand to tenants who are struggling with their French homework. The special education student is also a college French tutor. “The others know they can count on me… They see me as a stable person, whereas I’ve never been stable before! »
The young woman smiled proudly before throwing flowers to her colleagues: “They are motivated mothers. It’s nice to see us helping each other to go further. We are all heading in the same direction! »
And if the past was difficult, the present is rather joyful.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Thanks to Mothers with Power, single women have five years to complete a life project, such as getting a job, going back to school or earning a diploma.
The mothers make BBQs and the children have fun in the inner courtyard. We have a game module and small cars… Each child learns to make their parallels before leaving!
Valérie Larouche, Executive Director of Mothers with Power
The workers and educators contribute to family well-being AND to road citizenship, she jokes. (In addition to watching over forty mothers who do not live there, but who also benefit from psychosocial support in the success of their life project.)
Rima Elkouri wrote a superb paper on Mothers with power, in 20151. She then underlined that the essential mission of the organization was not supported to its fair value by public institutions. Eight years later, the issue is still relevant, but the urgency is elsewhere, teaches me Valérie Larouche…
It is in access to housing.
Dalia Vallée fears not being able to find a roof at the end of her stay: “I dread the day when I will have to leave Mothers with power. I plan to join a housing cooperative to continue to be involved in my living environment and have an affordable rent, but I know that these places are coveted! »
The housing crisis is also upsetting the organization’s executive director: “We don’t want mothers to work for years to stabilize themselves, carry out a study project and collect money, then find themselves without a place to live ! What do we do if the women can’t find an apartment? We want to adapt and allow them to extend their journey, but at the same time, there are a lot of families waiting for a place… ”
This wait can stretch up to two years, in fact. And we guess that these mothers are also suffering from the rising cost of living. The solution ? Create more housing.
Mothers with power hope to see 50 additional units born within five years. The team has a site in mind: the Esplanade Cartier, at the foot of the Jacques-Cartier bridge. If the plan is concrete, it is still at the stage of financing and obtaining government agreements.
A fundraising campaign is also underway – with $1.6 million raised out of a target of $2 million. At the same time, the organization conducts its annual campaign for a supportive Mother’s Day. All the profits generated by it are dedicated to the services currently offered to families.
“I’ve come a long way as a mother,” concludes Dalia Vallée. I was postpartum when I arrived, but it’s better now. And my son… My son is perfect. »
Valérie adds that if all the parents say that, in this case, it’s true.
I believe them. After all, this child has the right to a village in which to grow. To a village and a motivated mother.