The day center of the Chez Doris women’s shelter, which was forced to close for two months last fall, has now put the crisis behind it. The organization will once again be open even on weekends, thus resuming its services offered seven days a week.
This temporary closure was due in particular to increased demand among vulnerable women and mental health difficulties after the pandemic, for which employees were not sufficiently equipped.
“You can’t support a person [vulnérable] if, as an organization, your people are tired,” explained the organization’s general director, Diane Pilote.
The structure of Chez Doris was reviewed during its closure and a new team took charge of the day center, which can accommodate up to 90 women. The night shelter, however, remained open during the crisis, as did the community center offering social and health services and the two residences that the organization operates.
Located on rue Chomedey in the Ville-Marie district, Chez Doris only reopened its doors during the week, last December. After ten months of interruption, the shelter will become accessible again at the end of the week between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., starting June 15.
“On weekends, women want women’s organizations, and most of them are mixed. » They will “avoid [ces endroits] for their safety or according to reality [de violence conjugale] what they experienced,” explained one of the day center team leaders, Clémentine Mwabange.
“I think opening on the weekend will help [les femmes en situation d’itinérance et les femmes vulnérables] to take your breath away,” she said.
Housing crisis
The effects of the housing crisis are also being felt at the shelter while the 1er July is approaching. “Tuesday, we had two women who were ousted [de leur logement] », remarked Mme Mwabange. “It’s not even the 1st yeter July and we think it will increase further.”
“We feel people are concerned,” according to M.me Pilot, who observes an “energy of distress” and “an increase in evictions”. The organization’s night shelter, where 24 beds are available, is “full all the time” and around fifteen women are on the waiting list every evening, she adds.
It’s not just homeless women who attend the Chez Doris day center. Currently, 40% of women who go there have accommodation, but according to Mme Pilot, after paying for it, they only have around $100 to $150 per month left to meet their needs.
All these women can go to the Chez Doris organization to have a meal, clothes or a shower.