When a woman arrived at one of EFry’s shelters after escaping a violent relationship, she was also trying to navigate another enormous transition: seeking refugee status in Canada. She had left behind what was unsafe, but what came next was far from certain. Nine months later, her life looked very different.
There was no single program or intervention responsible for that change. Instead, there was a safe place to stay, practical support, guidance, and, perhaps most importantly, enough stability to begin thinking beyond the immediate crisis.
Stories like hers sit at the heart of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver (EFry), an organization that has spent more than 85 years supporting women, children, youth and families through some of the most difficult chapters of their lives.
For CEO Azra Hussain, the work is ultimately about restoring something crisis often takes away: choice. “For me, ‘from surviving to thriving’ is about moving beyond simply getting through the day to reaching a place where you have choices again.”
Today, nearly 15,000 people access EFry’s services every year. Some are fleeing gender-based violence. Others are experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental health or substance-use challenges, unemployment, or involvement with the justice system. For many, several of those realities exist at the same time. That complexity has shaped the way EFry works. Rather than addressing one problem in isolation, its programs are designed to meet people where they are and help connect the pieces needed to move forward.
Sometimes, the first step is simply having somewhere safe to sleep. EFry provides emergency shelter, transitional and supported housing, Housing First programs, and assistance finding permanent housing. But securing a roof is only one part of the equation. Once immediate safety is established, staff can begin helping a woman address what brought her there and what she will need to remain safely housed.
The need is significant: 85 per cent of the women and children staying in EFry shelters are fleeing gender-based violence. “Safety creates breathing room and sometimes that breathing room is what allows a person to imagine a completely different future,” says Hussain. EFry also works on prevention through initiatives such as Project Red Flag, helping communities recognize warning signs of unhealthy and abusive relationships before violence escalates.
Crisis is not always visible. Behind homelessness or justice involvement can be years of trauma, family instability, grief, poverty or isolation. EFry’s counselling and family programs are built around understanding that larger picture rather than defining someone by the circumstance that brought them through the door. “We cannot erase what someone has experienced,” Hussain says. “But we can help ensure that the experience does not determine everything that comes afterward.” Its no-cost counselling is offered in eight languages—English, Hindi, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Punjabi, Urdu and Vietnamese—making support easier to access for women who may already be navigating cultural or language barriers.
Safety and healing create the foundation. Independence gives someone the ability to build on it. EFry’s education, employment and skills programs help women prepare for work and greater financial independence, but with an understanding that employment may be several steps away when someone is emerging from crisis. Programs are structured around those realities. Woolwerx, EFry’s social enterprise, provides training and employment opportunities for women transitioning from justice involvement, homelessness and substance-use challenges. The goal is bigger than landing a job. It is reaching a point where a woman can support herself, make decisions for her family and have genuine options about the direction of her life.
That same thinking extends to EFry’s work with children and youth, particularly those affected by a parent’s involvement with the justice system. Through programs such as JustKids, Blue Sky and SHINE, young people have access to counselling, mentorship, positive experiences, and opportunities to build confidence and leadership.
Hussain brings more than two decades of non-profit leadership to that vision. A Certified Fundraising Executive and Professional Accountant, she previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Surrey Hospitals Foundation, with experience spanning strategy, fundraising, finance, governance and operations. Her connection to EFry, however, began before becoming CEO, when she joined its Board six years ago. Now, she wants the organization’s next chapter to be measured not simply by how many people it reaches, but by what happens after they leave.
For those looking to be part of EFry’s work, the opportunity may be through a donation, sponsorship, corporate partnership, volunteering, or funding a program. And for someone who needs EFry herself, it may simply begin with knowing where to turn.
Learn more at www.efry.com or call toll-free at 1-888-879-9593.
If you or someone you know needs support, help is only a call away.
EFry: IMPACT IN NUMBERS
85+ years of supporting women, children and families
Nearly 15,000 women, children and families served each year
Almost 2,000 children supported annually
Nearly 6,000 women and children access the Maida Duncan Drop-In Centre
8 languages currently available through EFry’s no-cost counselling services
