Deanna is one of many senior women who have found themselves facing homelessness in Greater Vancouver. More than 13 per cent of our region’s seniors live in poverty. Due to dramatic increases in the cost of housing, the rate of seniors’ homelessness has increased fivefold since 2008. As with virtually all EFry clients, Deanna endured… Read More
Fall Newsletter 2018
EFry’s child rights petition now before Canada’s Parliament Thanks to the amazing efforts of EFry staff and volunteers, our petition to support the rights of vulnerable children (such as those whose parents are homeless, incarcerated or have addictions) who live in less stable home environments has received over 5,000 signatures. The petition calls on the… Read More
Spring Newsletter 2018
Not just horsing around – alternative therapy methods EFry’s Am’ut Aboriginal Youth Program works with Aboriginal teenage girls who are in conflict with the law and want to make positive changes in their lives. Taking part in Aboriginal cultural activities and values is a key facet of the Am’ut program. To further this goal, as… Read More
Reporting back: What we learned at the International Coalition for the Children of Incarcerated Parents conference
By Shawn Bayes, Executive Director, EFry Last week, EFry representatives joined delegates from more than a dozen countries at the International Coalition for the Children of Incarcerated Parents in New Zealand. This was a major trip for EFry and one we felt was important in furthering our JustKids initiative, which provides specialized programs and supports… Read More
What it’s like to volunteer at an Extreme Weather Response shelter
By Nancy I’m an EFry volunteer and recently I’ve had the opportunity to support the Extreme Weather Response (EWR) overnight emergency heat shelter at the Maida Duncan Drop-in Centre in New Westminster. We have space for six women. Each night, four or five women have come in. They can have a shower, do laundry and… Read More
Rising Senior Homelessness: We’ve Reached the Crisis Point
By Shawn Bayes, Executive Director, EFry There are few topics as contentious as the cost of housing in the Lower Mainland. As high home purchase prices keep more people competing for rental stock, rents are becoming unaffordable for many and demand for our shelter spaces is growing with no end in sight. At EFry, we… Read More
The Privilege of Supporting Women at Every Stage of Life
Having a place to call home is a basic human need. One of the programs we operate, A Key of Her Own, is based on the Housing First model and helps find safe, permanent housing for women dealing with long-term or chronic homelessness. Most of these clients face multiple challenges, among them trauma, addiction, physical… Read More
Inspiration Behind Bars: A Counsellor’s Journey into Prison
by Rikki Fryatt, Clinical Counsellor, EFry “Starting next week, you’ll be facilitating a parenting group in the prison.” My director’s words fell heavy onto my ears. My internal response was squeamish avoidance. My stomach clenched. My heart raced. During my past three years working as a clinical counsellor within EFry, I’ve worked alongside hundreds of… Read More
Culture Supports Healing at EFry’s Am’ut Program for Aboriginal Girls
Sage smudging, sweat lodges and connecting with First Nations elders: these and other cultural traditions are central to EFry’s full-time attendance program for Aboriginal girls in conflict with the law. As an alternative to incarceration, girls ages 12 to 18 may complete their sentences at Am’ut, a 24/7 supervised program based from a home on… Read More
Opportunity: The Key to Changing Lives
EFry operates approximately two dozen different programs and services, in addition to our advocacy work to pursue system-wide changes. Everything we do has the same ultimate goal: creating opportunities for women to improve their lives and those of their children. Creating Opportunity in Ways Big and Small When people can’t count on their basic human… Read More
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