North Point Douglas Women's Centre

Location/Contact Information/Hours        Services        Volunteer Opportunities        Staff        Bulletins

Our Mission:  To create opportunities for women in North Point Douglas to develop their potential and to engage fully as citizens in  the neighbourhood and in the broader community.

Our Vision:  A safe, healthy vibrant community for women and their families in North Point Douglas.

Our Beginning:  The North Point Douglas Women's Centre was initiated as a project in 2000, sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. At that time, the need for a women’s centre in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood was identified by community women who were brought together through development of the North Point Douglas Project for Women. The primary issues identified were the lack of resources and services in the area, poverty, and poverty-related conditions.

The North Point Douglas Project for Women was developed as an empowerment project in recognition of women’s generally unequal position in society, their unique needs, and the important role they have in planning at the community level to enhance social, economic and environmental conditions for themselves and their families.

Project principles included:

• local control and leadership;

• participatory processes that are inclusive of women from the diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds who live in North Point Douglas;

• partnerships within the community and with the larger Winnipeg community;

• development of programs and activities that recognize and build on existing skills.

From the project grew the North Point Douglas Women's Centre. The Centre is envisioned by community women to be a hub where women and their families can gather. The Centre's mandate is to provide women in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood with a secure place to build and access social networks, resources, programs and activities to create a safe, healthy community for themselves and  families.  NPDWC was developed to bring women together to identify community issues, develop solutions and set and act on priorities to address poverty and poverty-related conditions in the neighbourhood.

Our Services                         top                                                                              

The North Point Douglas Women’s Centre  works with residents and local groups to build community through partnerships, information sharing and advocacy. Call our office for a current listing of programs and services available.

We offer services and programs that:

• help meet basic needs;

• build job, life and social skills;

• make the community a safer place;

• give parents information and support;

• provide recreation activities for children and families;

• encourage a healthy lifestyle

During our drop-in hours, residents come for food; to use our computers, fax machine and laundry facilities; to relax and socialize; and to let their children play. We also help residents to access information and to communicate with the often challenging bureaucracies that touch all of our lives.

Although we began as a centre for women and children, we have expanded our services to respond to the needs of men in the community. Our "Women's Only" hours are for women and their children. Men are welcome during the times indicated below.

Our Location and Hours of Operation            top

We are located at 221 Austin Street North - Phone 947-0321

Hours of Operation:

• Monday - 9 am to 5 pm

• Tuesday -  1 pm to 5 pm (closed Tuesday morning for administrative meeting)

• Wednesday to Friday - 9am to 5pm

• Saturday - 1 pm to 4 pm

• Sunday - closed

• Men's hours - Mon to Fri 9 am to 10 am, 3 pm to 5 pm

Volunteer Opportunities:                top

• Need bookkeeper/admin assistant

• Volunteers for Walking School Bus

• Need a cleaner

• Need a landscaper

• Need volunteers to help provide programming

• Volunteer to work with participants, to be in drop-in area to greet people as they come in. Be prepared to build relationships

• Maintenance person, handyperson

• Need male volunteers for Women’s Centre during hours open to men

• Need volunteer for Saturday open hours

• Fund raising volunteers, kids want to have a bake sale to raise money for their outings

• Volunteers to watch over the school patrols. Need morning, noon and after school eyes on the street.

• Need volunteers for Safety workshops

Our Staff:                top

• Elaine Bishop, Executive Director
• Sheri Nepinak, Neighbourhood Resource Coordinator
• Linda Williams, Safety Coordinator
• Arron Sandulak , Youth Outreach Worker
• Rayne Greyeyes, Drop-In Coordinator
• Vince Paul, Office Management Coordinator
• Angel Paul, Office Assistant

Historic Point Douglas – Where Winnipeg Began