YWCA Crabtree Corner Visioning Report 2024
In the spring of 2024, YWCA Crabtree Corner employees and community members developed Listening Sessions to define the values, vision and mission of YWCA Crabtree Corner and also to build strategies to improve housing, child care and community programs.
We used an action research approach guided by a ‘Momtriach’ committee for these sessions. This committee included women who are YWCA Metro Vancouver employees, program participants, youth, mentors, allied organizations and elders who fostered deep relationships with host First Nations.
This work led to the creation of the Cultivating Community Roots and Planting Seeds of Hope - Crabtree Corner Community Listening and Planning Report 2024.
The Momtriach research identified the need to enhance internal communications and collaboration, communications with women and families in the Downtown Eastside and collaboration with partners. There is a wealth of knowledge available to us from these various sources and we must come together to share our ideas and expertise for a stronger future.
Our community has grown significantly since YWCA Crabtree Corner was established in 1983. It is clear that we must expand our Crabtree Corner programs and services to meet the immediate needs of the community we serve. This will include developing wellness plans and measures of success for participants to grow and thrive.
The most significant finding was that YWCA Crabtree Corner must expand its space to meet the need of women, their families and future generations. This can be achieved by purchasing two adjacent vacant buildings. With the new space, Crabtree Corner hopes to expand housing, daycare facilities, community family programs, youth programs, women and family treatment programs, education and career planning and partnerships.
Help make this expansion a reality.
Relationship Centered and Inclusivity – developing safe, healthy, and trusting relationships with women and their families to lead the development of hub programs and services, creating a culturally diverse and welcoming space.
Barrier Free Access & Responsiveness is the key to our success. We strive to reduce all women and their families’ barriers to programs, services and referrals. We want to be responsive to women and family’s needs and provide supports guided by women’s preferred communication methods. This includes advocating to meet women and family needs.
Empower & Uplift Women & Family Voices means that we speak respectfully and honestly, support, empower and uplift women and their families to do the same.
Strengths-based & Collaborative - we strive to recognize the strengths and gifts of women, families and our team to work collaboratively with partners to serve current and future generations.
Safety & Support - We are committed to ensuring the safety of all women and their families, support and empower women and each other, to make good choices, improve their mental health, resolve trauma, self-development and reduce harm to themselves and others. This includes being non-judgemental, trauma informed and selecting staff, and volunteers who have personal lived experience, can provide genuine empathy and represent the diverse cultures in the DTES and skills to support this (e.g., Indigenous Elder, staff and cultural competency, speaking languages that many program participants speak).
Naut’sa mawt (Working Together as One in Hul’q’umín’um’) - We value the voices of all women and families and the Crabtree Corner team to work collaboratively to ensure the needs or our women and families are met.
YWCA Crabtree Corner
533 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1P9
604 216 1650