The Lloydminster Interval Home is getting $160,000 from Saskatchewan in support of its programs to help women and kids fleeing abuse.
In the 2023-24 period, the Interval Home had received $197,000 from Saskatchewan for transition housing and MLA Colleen Young in making the announcement on behalf of the justice minister spoke about the importance of the work.
“It’s very important for all communities across our province. I was honoured to be able to advocate on behalf of this community and get the additional funding that is needed to keep such a valuable and important service for women and children,” said Young.
The Interval Home is in its 44th year and has served over 6,800 women and 8,400 children in that time through its programs primarily the emergency shelter and transition house, noted Young.
Coming out of COVID, the operation like other non-profits has seen a loss of volunteer support and reduced revenue from its thrift store.
Young said she has toured the facilities and expressed praise for the efforts of the staff who help women to move forward in their lives.
Angela Rooks-Trotzuk, CEO, expressed the Interval Home’s gratitude and said the extra funding “could not have come at a better time” to support their efforts.
“We have varying programs that work to respond, prevent and educate on personal violence. We have an emergency shelter to provide safe shelter and support, a second stage facility where we provide longer-term support. Our youth centre, social enterprises and community-based support.”
The list of supports includes counselling, crisis intervention, safety planning, childcare, public education, advocacy and transportation.
MLA Young noted that on average the Interval Home transition house supports over 300 women and children every year in the community.
“It’s not a stat to be proud of. I know that the work that is done by the transition house and the Interval Home Society – (they) are doing a great job and hoping to get those numbers down significantly,” said Young.
The Interval Home offers a program called Strengths to Change which works with the perpetrators of domestic violence teaching things like better stress-coping mechanisms and different behaviours in relationships.
“We believe that working on both sides of the equation is the best answer to decreasing the numbers of domestic violence,” said Rooks-Trotzuk.”