Welcome Centre Shelter for Women & Families received a major donation for a new play space at its new shelter location.
One Hundred Women Who Care Windsor-Essex donated $15,000 to the shelter to create an outdoor space at the new location on Tuscarora Street.
"One of our biggest deficits has always been that we support families in area hotels and there is no outdoor space for children to play. Children make up about 40 per cent of the clients that we serve so we're hoping at the new site to create some on-site outdoor space," said Welcome Centre Shelter for Women & Families Executive Director Lady Laforet.
Final plans for the space have not yet been developed but Laforet anticipates the donation will cover a large part of the costs.
"We want some play space for kids, we want toddlers space, we want some playground equipment, we want just some space for teens to be on-site but outside," said Laforet.
Co-Founder of 100 Women Who Care Windsor Essex Maureen Lucas said the Welcome Centre playspace was chosen out of three bids from local charities.
"We have the charities do a five-minute video each that we post on Facebook, the women watch all the videos and once again vote for the charity that will win," said Lucas.
The organization goes through this process four times a year and each time the members donate at least $100 to the chosen charity.
Construction at the new shelter is expected to be wrapped up by the end of March 2022. Laforet is hopeful the outdoor space can be revamped by the end of summer.
