Alaya Foundation received earlier this year a letter from NWSM Executive Director, Ms. Nakuset, detailing the various services provided by the shelter to First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and their children. The situation worsened since the COVID-19 outbreak, and these women and children were particularly vulnerable. We were called to action upon acknowledging the emergency!

The NWSM is a non-profit organization sheltering Indigenous women and their children since 1987. This center is the only one in Montreal to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has 13 rooms and can accommodate women and children 84 days a year by offering food three times a day and light meals. The NWSM also provides access to services such as a psychologist, art therapist, addiction worker, and a family program. During the COVID-19 confinement phase, the center manages emergency beds to accommodate 140 people per day. The NWSM therefore needs additional protective equipment to protect their staff and customers from the virus.

Thanks to a donation recently received from an institution wishing to remain anonymous, we donated $ 4,000.00 to support the NWSM. The shelter also supports Résilience Montréal at Square Cabot, which helps vulnerable Inuit women in particular. Alaya Foundation pursues its fundraising efforts to further support First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada.