A local women's centre will soon be helping low-income women help themselves and others.

Winnipeg's West Central Women's Resource Centre has received $185,000 from Status of Women Canada for a three-year project called the Economic Security and Housing Program.

Nicknamed "the mentorship program," the project has several components.

Former MLA Marianne Cerilli has been hired as a community mentor and will be providing one-on-one support to women struggling with income or housing concerns. She'll also be training community women to be volunteer mentors. In turn, these women will help others navigate Manitoba's Employment and Income Assistance program, access other community resources, find quality rental accommodations or address conflicts with landlords.

Beginning this summer, the centre will host informal community discussions at which women will have the opportunity to network with each other and strategize action. Informational workshops will begin in the fall and will include topics such as how to talk to your welfare worker, what a health inspector does, or how to file a complaint with the Residential Tenancies Branch.

It's been a long journey for those involved with the project - it was almost cancelled before it even began. Centre staff had originally applied for project funding last summer, but when Status of Women Canada changed the terms and conditions of its funding mechanism last fall, staff were forced to wait months before being asked to submit a revised proposal this spring.

The funding was officially announced on May 25 by Bev Oda, federal minister responsible for SWC, who personally delivered the news at the centre. Jackie Hogue, the centre's executive director, broke down in tears during the press conference while thanking the feds for their support.

Now the money is confirmed, development work has begun in earnest and, although the mentorship part of the project isn't scheduled to start until fall, Cerilli says she's received a number of phone calls from women looking for help.

The program can also boast its first success story. After meeting with Cerilli, one local woman was able to get an extra $172 added to her monthly EIA cheque - money she wasn't aware she was entitled to.

As a long-term goal, Cerilli hopes to build "a mobilized voice for change," and to that end she wants to work as collaboratively as possible - not only with community women but also with representatives from government and other agencies.

Manitoba's Employment and Income Assistance department has committed to providing a case worker who will participate in workshops, and sister organizations such as the Wolseley Family Place and the North Point Douglas Women's Resource Centre will also be involved.

The West Central Women's Resource Centre is located at 583 Ellice Ave. For more information on the mentorship program or to get involved as a volunteer, area women are encouraged to call 774-8975.