A home away from home for domestic violence survivors

Edmonton-based Lurana Shelter Society provides ‘the first step of their journey,’ continues service amid COVID-19

When women in the Edmonton, AB and surrounding area are brave enough to leave a situation of family violence, Lurana Shelter Society is there to catch them.

“As a domestic and emergency violence shelter, we provide victims with everything from basic needs to counselling to childcare,” says Sarah Cornett, who until very recently served as executive director of Lurana Shelter Society.

“We are most concerned around safety planning—we’re not here to judge.”

For 26 years, Lurana Shelter has been committed to supporting women by “exploring alternatives with victims of family violence.” At its full capacity, the shelter can house 32, with stays averaging 21 days. While the shelter will accept anyone who requests their services, recent years have shown that around half of those seeking shelter from family violence are Indigenous women.

Cornett emphasis on the “with” and “explore alternatives” in their mission statement.

“Every woman’s story is different and there is no cookie cutter solution for domestic violence,” says Cornett.

Of course, the environment created by COVID-19 has presented a unique set of challenges with greater urgency to solve than your local restaurant or hair salon would face. To the shelter’s dismay, even with its capacity cut in half due to COVID-19 regulations, many of the beds have remained empty.

“This is concerning to us because people really are staying at home,” says Cornett. “Our outreach team has been very busy.”