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New facility provides temporary housing with a 32-bed capacity, as well as Indigenous-led programming for women and children.
The Council of Yukon First Nations celebrated the grand opening of its new Family Preservation Wellness Centre in Whistle Bend on Friday.
The new facility will provide temporary housing and Indigenous-led programming for women and children; particularly women and children fleeing abuse and domestic violence.
Speaking at the grand opening event on Friday, CYFN Grand Chief Peter Johnston says that compassion is one of the most important steps to community healing.
“Our societies were built on love and compassion. Built around family dynamics,” said Johnston. “We need everybody in this room to be the answer, the solution, to what we’re dealing with.”
The Wellness Centre is set to hit the ground running this week. CYFN Executive Director Shadelle Chambers says that families will be welcomed to the new facility this week, and that they will have access to Indigenous-led programming from the start. Whether a family needs help finding housing or healthy meals for the children, the programming at the Wellness Centre can help them.
“Any family that is accessing the space will be developing their own goal support plan,” said Chambers. “Really, it’s an individual, case-by-case plan that they get to establish their own goals.”
For more information and assistance from CYFN Family Preservation services, call 1-833-364-0509