Moncton organization struggling to assist women and children experiencing violence
Crossroads for Women hopes to never turn away a call for help, but increasing living costs, a lack of available housing, and unexpected expenses means the organization is struggling to keep up.
The Moncton-based organization provides resources, emergency shelter and crisis intervention for victims of intimate partner and sexual violence.
The executive director of Crossroads for Women, Chantal Poirier, said the number of calls they're receiving from those affected started to rise during the pandemic, but that number has now tripled.
Poirier said they do sometimes get calls when they have no room at the shelter, though they will then turn to community partners for help.
"I don't see that as an option, not being able to help," she said. "We find a way."
Crossroads for Women has had to make some cuts, according to Poirier, such as a service they used to offer in which someone from the organization would accompany a victim of sexual violence to the hospital.
"Either the RCMP or the hospital would call us and ask us to deploy someone," she said. "We just can't provide that service right now and it breaks our hearts."
Poirier told Information Morning Moncton that the group has the support of the provincial government, but executive directors are "holding their breath" for the additional funding needed to keep support going as costs continue to rise.
"I don't think it's a matter of pointing the finger of not receiving enough support," she said. "I just think it's a matter of reassessing."
The New Brunswick Department of Social Development said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to support the operations and programming of transitional housing for women and children who are victims of intimate partner violence, including an annual investment of $3.87 million.
According to the department, there are 14 transitional shelters in New Brunswick with a total of 205 beds for women.
They are working on completing a review of the available programs with different ministers in order to clarify the financial needs of the sector going forward.
Poirier said the low vacancy rate in Moncton is also increasing pressure on the organization. Women are now staying at Crossroads for six to eight months because they can't find another place to go, rather than the 30 days it was previously.
"We try to hang on as long as we can," said Poirier. "But by doing that we obviously are taking up a space for someone who may be calling us. So it's a vicious cycle to be in as far as an organization that supports these women. There's just not enough room."
