Program helping sexual assault survivors in rural Manitoba under threat as feds nix funding

An organization that helps sexual assault survivors in rural Manitoba embark on the journey toward recovery says the future of its main program is in question now that the federal government is discontinuing funding for it.

Survivor's Hope Crisis Centre has been running its Sexual Assault Recovery and Healing program, also known as SARAH, for about five years.

The program offers victims of sexual assault, abuse, harassment, exploitation and trafficking in the Interlake-Eastern region free long-term counselling, as well as access to advocacy, legal supports and opportunities to build communities with other survivors through healing groups.

Coral Kendel, the executive director of Survivor's Hope, says SARAH is the only program of its kind in the region, with the exception of one program in Brandon. She said it holds thousands of counselling sessions every year, helping hundreds of survivors heal.

But that may not be the case soon.

Survivor's Hope has been receiving support from the federal government to keep SARAH running for the past three years. In an email sent to the crisis centre last week, which was shared with CBC News, an official with the federal Justice Department said the funding would be discontinued.

"Our initial reactions were obviously devastation, and what that meant for the survivors that we work with and the severe outcomes that that cut can cause," Kendel said.  

"The largest portion of where our funding goes is to employing those caring individuals who can have those trusting relationships with survivors. And so without that funding … it will mean a reduction of our staff team and because of that, that's less support available."

Kendel said the cuts could mean the centre may not be able to follow up with youth who may need counselling whenever they hold workshops in schools.

She also added that, because there aren't other local supports, it could mean survivors may not have help navigating "confusing systems" like police and the courts, potentially leading to dire outcomes like trauma, substance abuse, or even suicide.

Cuts 'devastating,' survivor says

Robyn Laurie Sugden first came to Survivor's Hope as an employee, but it wasn't until she stopped working there that she realized how much she could use the help.

"A lot of the times, when people do experience sexualized violence, [they] may not realize that the experiences that they had weren't consensual until … a little bit later — and that was the situation with me," she said.

Sugden, who experienced sexual violence in her youth, said it wasn't until she started receiving free counselling under the SARAH program that she was able to deal with the trauma that she'd bottled up for years.

It really could be life or death for some people.- Robyn Laurie Sugden

She said she doesn't want to think about what will happen now that the program is in danger.

"This week has been very hard for survivors.… I've had a lot of people that have reached out to me, who are devastated," Sugden said.

"It really could be life or death for some people, because when you go through something like this, it affects everybody very, very differently."

The federal Justice Department said in its email to Survivor's Hope that funding for the sexual assault component of the department's victims' fund was limited, and the government was unable to approve all applicants.

A department spokesperson told CBC News in an email Thursday that, over the last three years, the federal government gave Survivor's Hope a total of $168,849 to develop a wrap-around support program for survivors and victims, but the funding was only for a set period ending March 31 — not on an ongoing basis.

The spokesperson added the organization also received a $10,000 and $9,000 grants in 2022 and 2023 for National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week activities.

Survivor's Hope is now trying to crowdfund the $75,000 it said it would need to run the program for another year, though Kendel said she's looking for more reliable funding from government.

Province steps in with $25K

The province did not directly provide money for SARAH, Kendel added Thursday.

But on Friday afternoon, the provincial government told CBC News it will be providing Survivor's Hope $25,000 in emergency funding so it can continue some services.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a phone interview that besides the emergency bridge funding, there will also be discussions with Survivor's Hope to support the organization long-term.

"We know that the work they do is so important," he said.

"[They] provide an important service out in that community, and so we wanted to step up right away [and] offer this emergency funding" to keep the program running for now, "with no disruption of services at all."

Kendell said she appreciates the contribution, and that the money will help sustain the SARAH program for a couple of months. But she added the organization is still seeking more reliable funding, and the $25,000 doesn't completely let governments off the hook.

'It's important to recognize the statistics'

Manitoba has the highest rate of police-reported sexual assault cases in rural areas, with 170 incidents per 100,000 people in 2021, according to Statistics Canada.

Kendel said Survivor's Hope survey from last year found 40 per cent of respondents in rural Manitoba said they or someone they knew had experienced sexual violence in their community.

"As much as we want to pretend that our society is safe or that we live in a place where this doesn't happen — specifically in small towns in Manitoba — I think it's important to recognize the statistics," Kendel said.

"It's not [just] the one in four that gets reported. It's so much more prevalent than that, because people don't have safe spaces to come forward and disclose and share their experiences — and we are the ones who they're able to do that with."

Kendel said they're also seeking for more reliable funding from government.

She said the cut doesn't just affect Survivor's Hope, but that it will continue having ripple effects elsewhere.

"It puts further strain on the health-care system, on the justice system," Kendel said. 

"It is a deficit to our other social services out here who we often partner with, like harm reduction and mental health organizations — and also the organizations in Winnipeg who would then have to pick up the slack."