Legal Help

We are a short-term facility. Most people stay up to 30 days with a possibility of extension based on their situation and/or housing arrangements.

Those who stay in the shelter are responsible for taking care of their own children. Children may be supervised during counselling sessions or programming if staff are available.

No. However, we can offer kennel service to your vaccinated pets while you are in the shelter. Another option is to go to the SafePet Program in Winnipeg or find a friend or family member to care for your pet while you are gone. Knowing your pets will be taken care of will help put your mind at ease.

Our shelter serves a large geographical area extending north to Beausejour, south to the USA border, west to Winnipeg, and east to the Ontario border. If you’re unsure if you’re within our service area, please call or email us and we’ll help you find the support you need.

Bring the essentials: your driver’s license, debit/credit cards, cash, medications, baby/child supplies as needed, and passports (for identification purposes). You might consider keeping a pre-packed backpack at a friend’s house for when you are ready to enter a shelter.

• Our shelter provides individual counselling, children’s counselling, and interactive and/or educational groups.
• When you stay at the shelter you will be required to prepare your own meals and clean up after yourself just like you would at home.
• You may be required to share a room depending on space and availability.
• Although we can provide referrals, we do not provide legal counsel or guarantees of housing for after your shelter stay.
• There are many factors involved and each situation is unique.

• Physical. Includes slapping, kicking, hitting, biting, choking, and use of weapons.
• Sexual. When a person is forced to perform sexual acts or suffers pain or injury during sex.
• Psychological. Includes excessive jealousy, controlling a partner’s time, activities, how they dress, how they wear their hair, not allowing them to see friends and family, and threats to take away their children.
• Emotional. Includes name calling, put downs, blaming, and false accusations.
• Isolation. Denying a partner the access or opportunity to keep friends, social contacts, and outside interests. Making family contact difficult or impossible.
• Financial/Economic. When a person has no access to the family money, cannot access funds for personal use, and has no decision in how family money will be spent.

• Children who have witnessed violence in the home often have feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, and guilt. The goal of our children’s program is to listen and support, while helping them understand and cope with these feelings. Our children’s program focuses on fun, healthy play.
• Our children’s counsellor manages the program and plans activities for children such as games, crafts, reading, playing with toys, and planned outings (if safe). We try to have activities available for children of all ages.
• The children’s counsellor is not a babysitter. Childcare may be provided when a parent must visit a lawyer or attend a medical appointment and cannot access other childcare. This childcare must be requested in advance and depends on staff availability. While you are staying at the shelter, you are responsible for your children at all times. We have many toys outside, and a playroom filled with toys, games, books, craft supplies, and a TV-VCR.

• The property is constantly monitored. We have a camera surveillance system, intercom system, flood lighting, and alarmed doors.
• Only approved visitors are admitted to the shelter. Staff control who is let into the shelter and monitor all departures from the building.
• No information is given without a client’s consent.
• Staff on shift always wear a panic button, monitored by a security company. If problems arise, police are summoned within minutes.
• No alcohol, illegal drugs, or solvents are allowed in the shelter, and anyone under the influence will not be admitted. Those who use or possess alcohol, illegal drugs, or solvents are asked to leave.
• Everyone in the shelter must comply with our No Abuse policy. No abuse of any kind is permitted within the shelter. This includes physically punishing children, yelling, swearing, violent TV shows or movies, and any kind of verbal, emotional, physical, sexual, financial, or spiritual abuse.
• All dangerous and toxic substances (medication, cleaning supplies) are locked.
• Everyone at the shelter (residents, staff, volunteers, service persons, etc.) must comply with our confidentiality policy and protect the privacy of those using our services.

Any person experiencing abuse (and their children, if applicable) may access Agape House services.

Emergency services, crisis intervention, counselling, supportive listening, referrals to other services, and provision of information on a specific topic.