Food hampers to flip phones: Pandemic forces shift in how Sage House helps women doing survival sex work
After COVID-19 closed Winnipeg drop-in, organization pivoted almost entirely to outreach
The coronavirus pandemic has ushered in unique challenges for a community program based in Winnipeg's North End that helps street-involved women who do survival sex work.
"I've read a lot of times in this pandemic about how we're all in the same storm. Yes, but we're not in the same boat," said Rebecca Blaikie, director of community services at Mount Carmel Clinic, a non-profit community health centre.
The drop-in space for street-involved women and those doing survival sex work that Mount Carmel runs was suddenly forced to close its doors in March, as the pandemic hit — it isn't huge and physical distancing was a near impossibility, said Blaikie.
"Trying to create that opportunity for a sense of belonging with the women that we usually bring in has been a challenge," she said.
Sage House, an offshoot of Mount Carmel Clinic, typically serves as a drop-in space where women can take part in group activities and traditional ceremonies, use computers, grab a bite, have a shower and do laundry, as well as access harm-reduction kits that include clean needles and condoms.
Now, because of the pandemic, Sage House can no longer safely provide access to many of those things.
Staff are still providing resources if women come to the door, but its model has mostly shifted to outreach — including distributing nearly 1,500 food hampers and bag lunches in the past three months, a new focus for Sage House.
"When we deliver in full [protective] gear, they just love to see our faces and to listen to our voices and to still encourage them and to still love them," said Sandy Banman, an outreach worker with Sage House.
WATCH Banman and Blaikie share Sage House pandemic challenges:
She said many of the women Sage House normally connects with saw their incomes dry up at the beginning of the pandemic.
As that was happening, food banks largely staffed by older volunteers also shut down or scaled back, said Blaikie. Demand for food grew.
"There was a need for us to fill that gap," she said.
Blaikie suspects Sage House's current focus on providing food will remain moving forward.
In addition to the hampers and lunches, staff also handed out just under 1,000 hygiene and harm-reduction kits, and another 135 basic need or emergency kits that include everything from blankets to clothes and kitchenware since March.
Communication barriers
Communication was another issue that arose early on in the pandemic.
Many payphones in the city's core don't work, said Blaikie, so with help from United Way, Sage House purchased flip phones for the women that enabled them to keep in touch with contacts and service providers.
Facilitating typical traditional ceremonies also proved challenging.
As many workplaces transitioned to work-from-home models and video conference technology, Mount Carmel Clinic began holding sharing circles, drumming groups and traditional teachings online.
They did their best to ensure anyone who wanted to participate had computer access, but the pandemic has highlighted barriers there as well.
"It's one thing to move everything online, but we need to ensure folks who want to connect can," said Blaikie.
Moving forward
The drop-in remains closed, but in the near term, Sage House plans to start holding small land-based teaching programs outdoors. Blaikie hopes those will help restore a sense of community.
Sage House is also hoping to secure funds to build an outdoor shower area behind its building that can be used and cleaned safely.
Another plan on the horizon: Mount Carmel plans to begin fundraising to renovate a former employment and income assistance building it acquired next door to its Main Street headquarters, with spacing and other pandemic-focused upgrades in mind.
The pandemic has also revealed, in many ways, how social issues could be solved with the right collaboration between government and community groups, Blaikie said.
That includes ensuring people on employment and income assistance are able to afford a cellphone or other digital device to stay connected when libraries and drop-ins shut down, she said.
It also could mean a more sustained and concerted effort by government and others to house those without homes.
"When crisis hits, it's really important to remember those that are most vulnerable and make sure that we keep showing up … to advocate, and that we keep showing up to serve and to do our best to provide what's necessary for folks to have the dignity that they deserve," said Blaikie.
"I think in this pandemic we feel good about the work that we did — we did continue to show up — but I want to make sure that as a broader society, we can all show up in between pandemics, too."
Banman's message to the women Sage House continues to support through this difficult time is simple.
"Hang in there.… Things are going to get better."
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