The Love Well Women’s Drop-in Centre in Altona is experiencing what the founders are calling, “a good problem.”
“We’ve grown so much that we’re running out of space,” says Gaetane Reimer, who opened the centre on 2nd Ave. NE with Robyn Sierks and Nadine Klassen three years ago to provide women with a safe space to talk, build friendships, and make healthy connections.
Reimer says what began as a conversation about goals and ideas over a birthday lunch has grown into a thriving facility which welcomes up to 200 women from Altona and surrounding areas every month.
The centre is open three weekday afternoons from 1-4 p.m., hosting full groups on Monday, a coffee time, craft café, and games nights on Wednesdays, and another coffee time group on Fridays.
They also host study groups and provide women with information about where to receive other support.
“It’s quite incredible how we’ve been growing,” Reimer says. “Once a larger place is secured, we want to start offering more programs and services such as grief counselling and addressing mental health issues. This year we also want to bring in special speakers to empower women.”
She adds that they’ve also been seeing a need for men in the community to have a place to talk and connect.
“We’ve had some men approach us and they’re interested in having a supportive space like this. That’s been on our heart, as well.”
Not only are they growing out of their space, but they’re also facing a deadline to move out by Feb. 29.
“The owners have been just wonderful by providing us with this spot until now, and we understand their own need to expand. So, finding an adequate space that meets our vision to keep growing and provide more services is going to be a challenge,” Reimer says, adding that they still feel very optimistic.
“After hearing that we need to move, people are rallying behind us and trying to help us find a space because they don’t want to see this place closed down.”
Sierks says they’re looking for about 1,500 to 1,600 square feet or more.
“That’s a bit of a challenge to find in town. We’re looking for anyone who has ideas of where we could go or if they have a space.”
The prospect of expansion will also affect their operating costs.
“We rely on private donations, and everything at the drop-in is free. At a craft night, for example, we can host up to 30 women, all for free. But what they’re receiving is priceless. We’re helping people in the community do things they may not have had the finances to do and see talents that they didn’t even realize they had. They’re making connections they didn’t have before. So, we’re looking for monthly partners. We’re hoping that if somebody hears this, if they have a space available that they’d be willing to let us use, we would be more than grateful.”
The centre’s support of women goes beyond local borders. When co-founder Nadine Klassen isn’t helping at the centre in Altona, she’s working at a women’s centre in Guatemala. The annual Walk/Run Double Blessing event hosted by Love Well supports what they do there, as well.
“My heart is with both centres, and I’m thankful we’ve been able to collaborate. We’ve seen some real success stories in Guatemala,” Klassen says. “It’s nice to see that community stretches beyond our own back door. I’m hoping people in Altona will realize the need for the centre here and will reach out.”
While the current location has served them well, all three founders agree that wherever they end up, having a dedicated kitchen space would be a welcome addition to their facility.
“Our women would love that because we’ve got some really good bakers,” pointed out Sierks. “Our hope is that the next space has a really good kitchen so we can get together and have baking bees and birthday parties and community dinners.”
For now, their focus is getting the centre settled into a new place.
“Hopefully we’ll end up with a stable home, where we don’t have to worry about leaving in the near future. We feel very blessed to be so supported and we’re looking to serve the community a lot longer,” Sierks adds.
“We’ve turned into a family here and are building long lasting relationships. They’re finding this is a place they can come to in our tough times. We’re seeing relationships build between mothers and daughters and all the women who come here. It’s multi-generational and non-denominational. Everybody can be themselves. Our job here is not to fix anybody. Our job is just to love them. That’s why it’s called Love Well. We want every woman to leave here feeling loved.”
Those who want to help can contact Love Well Drop-in Centre by phone at 204-304-0044 or via email to lovewelldropin@gmail.com.
