Women's Emergency Accommodation Centre (WEAC) offers short-term emergency housing to homeless and transient women who have little or no income.
Women who come to WEAC may be trying to overcome mental health or substance abuse problems, or to leave prostitution or abusive relationships. Or, they simply be alone, poor and without support.
WEAC provides free semi-private rooms, meals and clothing to women-in-need 24 hours a day, 365 days per years. We recognize that some hard-to-house clients have a difficult time finding suitable long-term housing.
While at WEAC, women are required to look after their rooms and do their own laundry. Staff provide registration services, monitor the building, prepare and serve meals, and clean common areas. They also intervene in crisis situations, act as liaison between helping professionals and the women, and offer general support.
WEAC's care workers refer women to community agencies that can assist them in getting long-term housing, employment, medical care and counseling. Nurses from Boyle-McCauley Health Centre, a mental health nurse and a counselor visit WEAC regularly to provide on-site service. In addition, WEAC attempts to help women overcome isolation by providing opportunities to socialize and to interact with the community-at-large.
In December 1994, WEAC moved into the restored Gibson Block, the flatiron building at 96th Street and Jasper Avenue. WEAC is wheelchair accessible.
Funding is provided by Alberta Seniors and generous community support.
For more information, contact:
Violet Bird, Program Manager
Women's Emergency Accommodation Centre
9611-101A Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3V5
Phone: 780.423.5302
Fax: 780.424.9642
E-mail: vbird@e4calberta.org