Gratitude to Sydney from the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan who shared a bit about this great organization with us! 

Sydney, we worked with you last year and had a very successful campaign. What have you been up to the past twelve months? 

This past year we have seen a lot of growth within the organization. We had a new executive director join our team and bring a wealth of knowledge from working in supportive living programs out in BC. We also moved office locations as we had out grown our space at Station 20 where we had been for 6 years. We also were able to open an office in Regina which has allowed us to further our work. 

 How has the need for services changed in the last year, if at all? 

This past year we have seen an increase in women and gender diverse folks being incarcerated, many of which are on remand and haven’t been found guilty of what they are charged with. This is partially due to societal issues surrounding poverty, housing, the drug crisis, and mental health concerns. Without these vital supports such as safe and adequate housing, people are unable to be released leaving them in custody. This has caused our court support workers to be very busy trying to find alternatives to incarceration and to find the proper resources.

How has the status of funding changed in the non-profit sector?

Nothing has overly changed in the non profit sector in regards to funding. There is as always limited funding with multiple organizations trying to receive it. 

What are your plans for 2024?

As we enter our next fiscal year, we have many things in the works that are exciting. Currently our goal is to continue capacity building as an organization so that we have a strong foundation to expand our services.

What's on your wishlist at Elizabeth Fry? What would you do if money wasn’t a barrier? 

 If we were to have unlimited funds, our goal would be to have a housing continuum where we provide transitional housing to offering affordable permanent housing for women and children. Access to safe, appropriate housing options for women is something that is difficult to find and we would love to be able to provide those options through someone’s journey.

Many thanks to the folks at Elizabeth Fry Society who do excellent work every day, caring for our most vulnerable citizens.