VANCOUVER (CCN) — Shelly remembers the first time she encountered Sancta Maria House. A small prayer card had blown through the air and landed on her boot. On one side was a picture of a happy-looking woman with the words, “Thank you God for hearing my prayer and answering it.” On the other side was a phone number.
Shelly, a survivor of domestic abuse, had spent years of her life with a man who didn’t love her, and even when she finally left him at 32, drug abuse was waiting in her next relationship.
“I didn’t know there was an ending to it,” she said. “I didn’t know there was a solution, and I certainly didn’t know there was a God.”
She felt “instant change” when she walked through the door of Sancta Maria House. “I felt something that I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. I felt a belonging. I felt hope.”
Shelly is now a house parent at Sancta Maria House and she wants others to know there is help. “[My] humble prayer was ‘God help me to figure out why I’m doing this. Help me to stop. And help me to be able to help others.’”
Sancta Maria House is one of several beneficiaries of the Living Waters Fund, a grant program supported by the 2025 Archbishop’s Dinner to help ministries and organizations that help women find safety and healing from domestic abuse and drug use.
The fund supports safe refuge and long-term support for women fleeing abuse, outreach to women on the streets and those affected by sexual exploitation, assistance for single mothers building stable lives, and healing for women facing trauma and injustice. New applications will be accepted from March 1 to 31.
Since opening its doors on Valentine’s Day 1960, Sancta Maria House has been a quiet and persistent force for good in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, helping women battling substance abuse find their footing and reclaim their lives.
Through its structured, abstinence-based program, women find a nurturing, family-like setting. In addition to the costs of running the centre, donations help pay for activities and services offered to residents, including arts and crafts and faith studies.
Donations also help buffer women from financial strain while seeking stability, allowing them to stay while their applications for government aid are being processed.
Sancta Maria House is part of the life of St. Augustine’s Parish in Kitsilano, and women are encouraged to participate in parish life and rediscover a sense of belonging. Over its history, Sancta Maria House has helped more than 300 women, ensuring each resident hears a message of love and finds a path toward renewal.
The Talitha Koum Society offers safe homes for women recovering from substance abuse and addiction. The society operates two recovery homes and one bridge home in Coquitlam, British Columbia, open to women and their children.
Talitha Koum supports women and families affected by addiction, trauma, violence, crime, abuse and housing instability.
The organization delivers safe, structured, abstinence-based and trauma-informed programs that support healing, strengthen parenting capacity and promote long-term stability. Its continuum of care includes first-stage recovery housing funded by BC Housing, second-stage 12-Step recovery housing co-owned with the City of Coquitlam, and bridge housing that combines client-paid rent with donor support to encourage independence and affordability.
In addition to housing, Talitha Koum provides wraparound supports, such as trauma-informed counselling, parenting education, life-skills and tenancy training, employment and income-assistance navigation, structured aftercare and community integration.
Rooted in Catholic social teaching — particularly the dignity of the human person and care for the vulnerable — the society also offers opportunities for spiritual support. Some participants worship at local churches, and Step Five in the 12-Step program is often witnessed by a Catholic priest, religious sister or trusted parishioner.
The impact is seen in its graduates. Many have gone on to serve as staff members, bringing lived experience back into the program. The current program director, who has 18 years of sobriety, is herself a graduate of Talitha Koum’s recovery program.
Our Lady of Good Council Domestic Abuse Services
OLGC Domestic Abuse Services supports women and children affected by domestic abuse. It operates a confidential helpline staffed by trained volunteers who provide emotional support, safety planning, information on legal and community resources and referrals.
The society also operates Eva’s House, a confidential second-stage transition home offering safe, supportive housing for women and their children fleeing domestic violence. In the caring environment, residents can rebuild self-esteem, access counselling and community resources, and work toward independence.
To help fund its programs, the society runs Thrifters’ Paradise, a volunteer-operated thrift store in Langley filled with clothing, housewares, books and more.
Momentum Catholic Single Mothers
Momentum is a growing Catholic ministry dedicated to building a vibrant, faith-filled community for Catholic single mothers across Canada and beyond.
Founded by single mothers, Momentum offers in-person and online retreats, local chapter gatherings, weekly prayer meetings, and other faith-based programs designed to nourish participants’ spiritual life and community connection. Its mission is rooted in accompaniment and creating space for single mothers to share their struggles, grow in faith and support one another through the joys and challenges of motherhood.
For Shelly, the help she received from Sancta Maria House is why she wants others to support ministries serving women in crisis. “Life was hard, and then I met Jesus — and life was changed to the best,” she said. “Give all the glory to God. All the glory, amen.”
The Living Waters Fund is opening its doors for a second wave of grant applicants on March 1 with a deadline of March 31. For grant information, visit rcav.org/livingwaters.
