Safety and Harm Reduction
West Broadway Community Organization (WBCO), offers strategies and supports for community members experiencing real and perceived dangers associated with unlawful activities. If you are feeling unsafe and would like to strategize how best to reduce potential harms and risks, please contact us. We are non-judgemental, inclusive of all people, and our focus is on prevention, through the following strategies. In the meantime, please also look at our West Broadway Resource Guide.
Safety Auditing for buildings, blocks, and businesses
If you live in a building that poorly managed or maintained, if you are witnessing unlawful or threatening activity on your block, or if your organization or business is at risk of criminal activity, we can help you audit your physical surroundings and offer practical suggestions for reducing potential harms.
Neighbours meeting neighbours – WBCO can help you connect with your neighbours, to support one another and resolve conflict. You are not alone, especially in a densely populated community where thousands of people live, work, and volunteer. If you are concerned about something in our neighbourhood chances are your neighbours are feeling similar concerns.
Block parties
WBCO can help you organize a party for your building, your city block, etc. Block parties are an excellent way to bring people together to share food, activities, and celebrations. If people don’t know each other we often make assumptions about who we are based on our appearance or outward behaviour. Block parties offer a chance for neighbours to meet, to get to know one another, and more often than not to find out that the seemingly ‘scary’ person who moved in next door is actually not scary at all.
Referrals
There are many programs and services offering support for community members who are experiencing violence, abuse, food insecurity, housing insecurity, mental and physical illness, etc. WBCO maintains an up to date database of programs and services that are there to help Winnipeggers reduce harms and improve safety, please contact us!
Community Discussions and Activism
The root causes of crime and other social issues are complex and solutions are often beyond the capacity of an individual or a community program. WBCO invites community members to meet, discuss, and consider solutions for issues that impact our wellbeing. This is an initiative of WBCO’s volunteer Board of Directors, who have expressed a strong commitment to community organizing beyond the confines of a non profit charitable corporation. Please contact them at [email protected]
