Edmonton, Canada, Mar 14, 2018 / 02:04 am
Every year in Edmonton, the city sees around 100 homeless, pregnant women who are in need of health care, shelter, and support.
Many of these women struggle with addictions, mental health issues, or finances, and give birth to babies who are in need of neonatal care.
However, local Edmonton developer Gene Dub recently donated a four-story building to a non-profit program called Pregnancy Pathways, with the aim of helping these struggling pregnant women.
After hearing about the need for a shelter for homeless mothers on the radio, Dub said he "just happened to have a building," according to the Edmonton Journal.
"We agreed this was just as good a cause as you could possibly get," Dub continued.
The building, known as the old Grand Manor Hotel, has 18 studios and one-bedroom units. Dub purchased the historic building years ago and was renting it as low-income housing.
These units will soon shelter homeless, pregnant women within the city, and the mothers are expected to move in within the next month. They will be housed there through six to nine months postpartum.
Pregnancy Pathways is a collaborative organization which offers homeless mothers opportunities to change their lives through affordable housing and holistic support in a number of different sectors.
The program consists of 25 partner agencies which aim to help struggling mothers in any way possible. Whether they need counseling, employment, education, detox, or healthcare, the organization's goal is to set up homeless women with a better future.
Each woman is paired with a wellness coordinator who accesses the needs of each mother. From there, they determine what her needs are and will help her make the connections necessary to ensure better opportunities in the future. Typically, women are in the program for around one year.
"The objective of Pregnancy Pathways is healthy women and healthy babies with a better chance for everyone to meet their potential," said the program's website.
"Through the program, mothers will also be better able to make a decision about raising their baby, finding other ways to become involved in their child's life or choosing adoption or foster care for their newborn."