Marianne Sorensen is the Executive Director for AWAC, an Association Advocating for Women and Children. Born in Victoria, Marianne was raised and has spent most of her life in Prince George and has three adult children.
Her motivation for the work she does at AWAC has always been about the women’s services offered by the organization. She says witnessing their strength and resilience in the midst of great difficulties is a humbling and motivating experience.
AWAC is a registered not-for-profit organization created in 1994 to respond to the emergency needs of severely marginalized and vulnerable women and female youth through a number of shelter and support services. Located at 144 George Street, AWAC offers a variety of valuable services including:
• A drop-in centre that operates from 8am-8pm daily providing meals, snacks, outerwear, personal items and access to showers, bathrooms, activities and other facilities.
• A minimal barrier shelter which operates from 8pm-8am nightly with a 20-bed capacity for women and female youth and similar services as the drop-in centre.
• A 24-hour emergency shelter for women and female youth that offers 16 beds for up to 30 days. It includes a moderately structured program that assists clients to build readiness for increased independence.
• Street Humanities is a non-credit survey course for street-involved women at risk. It offers modified humanities courses delivered at the College of New Caledonia in partnership with AWAC.
• An outreach support program for all women and female youth accessing any AWAC program. A worker connects clients in and out of the facility, helps to identify their specific needs and works comprehensively to address those needs.
• A housing support program that provides eight single units with shared kitchen, laundry and bath for marginalized women.
Nurturing Through Nature: Beautifying AWAC is a community project being undertaken to improve the look of the exterior of the organization’s building through planters, benches, flowers, vegetable planters and a gravel courtyard. Many individuals, businesses and organizations have come together to develop and carry out a number of improvements to the façade and courtyard of the facility. A committee of interested people has been created to lead this project
There are many ways to become involved with AWAC such as: become a board member, volunteer in the shelter, share skills and talents with clients, volunteer for special projects, donate women’s clothing or make a charitable contribution (AWAC is happy to issue tax deductible receipts for financial contributions).
