BETHANY PLACE FOR WOMEN SOCIETY

At Bethany Place for Women we seek to create a caring community by ‘providing spaces for women to gather where community is experienced and God is welcomed’. We meet in a number of places where we hold events to foster connection and relationship. We partner with other local non-profits who seek to serve similar vulnerable peoples within our community. Within supportive housing facilities we host for the female residents and other vulnerable women within the community daytime weekly drop-ins and monthly events like Self Care Clothing Give-Away and Paint Nights. Many of these women live on their own in low-income supportive or subsidized housing or have lived experience of homelessness. With basic needs of food shelter and safety secured our desire is to help provide other felt needs like social spiritual and relational connection. This past year we have been invited into an additional new BC Housing facility that supplies supportive housing. We have initially started going monthly to provide treats and snacks and an opportunity to connect with the residents. We also partner with a local restaurant and host a monthly ‘Come as You Are’ Dinner and Live Music event to provide hospitality and an opportunity for our guests to be 'treated'. Local service groups and churches sponsor these monthly events by fundraising towards the cost of the meal providing table centerpieces gift bags for the women and to serve the evening of the event. We also tap into the local musical community and have various musicians donate their time and talents to provide after-dinner music. It is satisfying to see our guests enjoy a special night out including a delicious meal served in pleasant surroundings around tables together. Additionally two or three times a month we host a Dinner ‘n Discussion evening. We gather to enjoy a meal prepared by volunteers followed by a support-type meeting study or inspirational speaker. Each opportunity allows us to provide support friendship and encouragement as we seek to create a caring community together. We also provide practical helps as needs arise amongst the women of our community. This past year among other things we have cleaned and decluttered when threat of eviction has arisen; we have driven women to medical appointments supported them while in hospital and helped provide short-term housing when temporary needs have arisen.

This year we have been given the use of the main floor of an old heritage home. With this designated space we have been able to move our bi-weekly dinner and discussion to this facility as well as add to our programming: We have started a weekly bible study for those who are interested in growing in their understanding of their Christian faith as well as a monthly Movie and Games night. We plan to continue to do all that we have done in the past year and also increase our drop-in presence in the newly opened supportive housing facility to bi-weekly and eventually weekly as we identify ways in which we can support and assist. We also anticipate offering in the Fall a Connect and Cook program out of our own facility to help women learn how to make simple nutritious meals for themselves.