The Coverdale Centre for Women on Waterloo Street in Saint John. (Image: Ben Burnett)
The Coverdale Centre for Women in Saint John is hoping 2021 brings about fewer challenges than last year.
Having lost its headquarters twice in 2020 while dealing with an influx of women facing housing insecurity, the group looks forward to moving into a new space in the next few months.
The organization hopes to move into its new space on Waterloo Street sometime in April.
Executive Director Mary Saulnier-Taylor says they’re looking forward to some stability.
“When we found ourselves homeless it gave everyone a greater understanding of what the women who arrive at our door feel like,” she said. “Not having the consistency in place, unstable, struggling to set things up, dealing with all the COVID-19 regulations, and the increased demands put upon us.”
The group had already seen increased demand and recognized the need to move prior to the pandemic. But once physical distancing guidelines came into effect, there was an even greater need for change.
“The kitchen was too small, the living room was too small, and then when COVID hit it put us in complete ‘we need to move now’ mode,” Saulnier-Taylor said. “It all sort of hit at the same time, it was almost like a perfect storm.”
Coverdale first moved its operation to the gymnasium at Bayside Middle School but was forced to leave once the school began preparing for the fall term. Since then they’ve been located in the Social Development building on Somerset Street.
Despite the upcoming move, Saulnier-Taylor is already looking ahead to the next project.
They’ve secured land in Waterloo Village through federal government funding that would help them provide more affordable housing.
“Our goal in 2021 is to try and find the funding we need and make that (space) a reality,” Saulnier-Taylor said.
If there’s one reason for optimism after a particularly challenging year, it’s the community support Coverdale has received from Saint Johners throughout the pandemic.
“We’ve received really great community support with donations,” said Saulnier-Taylor. “Whenever we’ve put a call out people have stepped up and supplied us with whatever we needed.”
