I heard you asking, “What can I do as a white, privileged male?”
Go to some of the shelters. Come down and visit my shelter. See what it looks like. Then step into a shelter on a reserve: find the difference, see the difference, see the buildings, see the conditions they're in. I've known of federally funded shelters that were going to food banks to get food for their clients in the shelter. What is that?
I mean, go in. Really go in and get a view of what's really happening inside those shelters. Come and see the work we do. It's very difficult work. It's hard, hard work.
I'm one of those, and I'm very grateful for it, who has a 24-bed shelter. I have a place where aboriginal women can come to. I have the number of workers I have. I'm very well supported. Also, in this community I have good community partners, and I'm very grateful for that. Rob is one of those. I have a sister shelter in Faye Peterson, and we work very closely together. She also has a high level of aboriginal women who go to her shelter.
It shows you the need in this community: two 24-bed shelters are full to capacity at most times. It just tells you the level of violence that's happening here in this community.