Women's Habitat names new executive director.
Silvia Samsa is the new Executive Director of Women's Habitat Etobicoke. One of Samsa's first major initiatives is a fundraising campaign to replace Etobicoke's aging shelter for women and children fleeing abusive homes.
Staff photo/MARY GAUDET
The new executive director of Women's Habitat of Etobicoke hopes to build on the vision of the organization as a place that provides excellent services for women in need.
"I am very honoured to work with such a great group of women who dedicate their lives to ensure that violence is eradicated," Silvia Samsa told The Guardian, "and also (for) the women who come here and the courage that they take to take that first step to have a life that's better for themselves and their children."
Samsa has worked in shelters since 1983. After working on the front lines as a social worker for many years, she joined YWCA ARISE, a shelter for women and children fleeing violence.
She served as a manager there for 11 years.
"It is my passion and commitment to work with women who are facing violence in their lives," Samsa said.
Women's Habitat has two programs located at different locations: the outreach centre and a 25-bed shelter for women and children fleeing violence.
The outreach centre runs a variety of programs such as a girlz space after-school program, drop-in, transitional support as well as daily groups with women and children in the community.
According to the Women's Habitat website, the shelter is currently situated in a very old building with serious structural problems.
It has mould in numerous places and has had ongoing water problems in the basement and cracks in the foundation. The building is not wheel-chair accessible and there is no room for communal meals or meeting.
It is also impossible to do any expansion on the current lot.
Due to increasing demand for shelter space, it is necessary to increase the number of beds as well as communal and office space, which won't be possible unless it is moved to a different location.
Women's Habitat is trying to get a new and bigger shelter to address these issues, but to also bring the outreach programs and the shelter under one roof.
"One-stop shopping would be wonderful. What we envision is that women can reach the outreach program and be in the shelter in the same building," Samsa said. "I just want the women in the shelter to realize that there is a life after the shelter, that they can use a transitional support program, so it will be really nice to have a very seamless system."
Samsa also suggested that it would be ideal to ensure that women living in the shelter can access training for certain skills to help them integrate back into the community.
When former executive director Rhonda Roffey decided to leave Women's Habitat, the board of directors was looking for someone who would understand the vision of the organization, said Deborah Templer, president of the board.
"Silvia got it immediately," she said.
The board thought that Samsa was compassionate, a good listener and a leader who understood the inherent and complicated issues the organization deals with.
"She (Samsa) understands what Women's Habitat is, and more importantly, she understands where it needs to go," Templer said.
Ending domestic violence and providing support for victims is extremely important for Samsa.
"Domestic violence against women transcends every race, religion, culture, age and financial status. There is no typical face of violence against women. It's you and I. People need to realize that and get involved as a neighborhood and a community to stop violence against women," she said.