YWCA Thompson

The YWCA Thompson has and remains committed to supporting the holistic needs of women and their families in Northern Manitoba by using the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations as a guide in the development and delivery of all its programs and services. As part of our core values, we acknowledge the historic and ongoing injustices of Indigenous peoples and commit fully to the work of redress and reconciliation.

Through partnerships, we deliver programs linked directly to the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations including but not limited to the Sheltering Homeless in Place Project (SHIPP), Transition Program and Women's Resource Centre. Using harm reduction and trauma-informed principles, we work towards ensuring that the programs and services offered remain relevant and that people accessing service feel respected regardless of circumstances or ethnicity.

In addition to programs and services, we host annually a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, National Day of Remembrance of Violence Against Women and Girls to honour and remember those that have lost their lives to gender-based violence and International Women’s Day to celebrate inspiring women and girls throughout the North.

This year at our International Women’s Day Celebration (2021) we were excited to announce the re-introduction of an education bursary: Footsteps Forward for women and girls in the North. This bursary offers two streams: one with furthering education for shorter-term training/programs and one to assist with post-secondary expenses.

As an organization, we are active in the community, participating in several committees that work on housing, safety and access to services as well as participate in community events that celebrate and recognize our Indigenous roots.

We commit to being a representative organization of the population we serve with over 80% of our staffing team identifying as Indigenous. We look to our Indigenous partners for guidance and advice to ensure that we remain responsive to the needs of this region and population.