West Broadway drop-in offers supports, programs, safety for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

West Broadway has become home to the first drop-in centre in the city to support people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The roomy space at at 555 Broadway features paintings with the seven traditional Indigenous teachings hanging on the wall, a pantry full of non-perishables for people who need something to eat and cosy chairs positioned to catch the early afternoon light.

“A lot of our the people who we support live in the area. Some are homeless, so we want this to be a safe place for people to come,” said Don Shackel, executive director for Initiatives for Just Communities. “We want to make our supports intentional.”

Warm meals, showers and laundry machines are some of the amenities available to the non-profit organization’s clients. A public health nurse and someone from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority who provides addictions support will soon be available once a week.

It’s a far cry from where the organization began more than 20 years ago.

Russ Hilsher remembers a time when support workers came and went before he could make any meaningful connection with them.

He’s seen Initiatives for Just Communities change vastly since he became a program participant in the early 2000s. As someone with a criminal past and living with FASD, he attributes his continued success in life to his sobriety and receiving the proper supports through the organization.

“For me, it’s about supporting us correctly and helping us achieve our goals and things that we want to see done in our lives,” he said.

FASD is a lifelong disability that affects people who are exposed to alcohol before birth. People with FASD often experience challenges with cognitive and executive functioning.

Since the 1990s, Initiatives for Just Communities has offered programming and support for people with FASD. It runs day programming, outreach, supported living and an alternative justice program for men who can serve out criminal sentences, if applicable, at El’dad ranch near Steinbach.

The organization supports about 200 people annually at its various locations.

The drop-in centre now brings several programs under one roof.

The programs offer supports to people living in the community as well as those still behind bars — prison visitations, for example.

It also runs programming for men who have committed sexual crimes.

Shackel says the new centre aims to “decolonize” the organization so it can provide relevant supports for clients. Many of the program’s participants are Indigenous, and designing it as such is important to its success.

While the organization hasn’t abandoned its roots as a faith-based organization, expanding access to Indigenous elders and traditional practices has made a difference, Shackel said.

“I see it every day. People feel valued. People feel there’s a safe space,” he said.

Families minister Nahanni Fontaine visited the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday and said the province would continue to work with organizations such as Initiatives for Just Communities to support people with FASD.

Data on people with FASD is historically under-reported across Canada, but the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal suggests 17 per cent of children in Manitoba’s child-welfare system were diagnosed or suspected to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network has estimated as many as four per cent of Canadians live with the condition.

Fontaine agreed data in Manitoba is under-reported and pointed to the province’s renewed FASD strategy. In 2024 the government revamped its five-year strategy with the intention to improve supports.

Budget 2025 included $946,000 in annual funding for several preventative and support programs.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca