What is Marianne’s Place?
Marianne’s Place is an accessible 28-bed, emergency shelter for women and their children leaving abusive situations. We support women who are experiencing physical, sexual, emotional, financial abuse and/or stalking. The location of the shelter is confidential. All our services are free.
Marianne’s Place is more than just a place to stay … Our staff will help keep you safe and will support you. We will help you with many of the needs you may have, including:
- safety planning for you and your children
- getting financial support (for example, from Ontario Works)
- getting information and help
- getting housing and finding a new place to live
- help with lawyers, the legal system or going to court
- help with immigration issues or paperwork
- any issues around child support or child custody
- one-to-one counselling, support and activities for you and for your children
- fun activities and spaces for your children
We will give you support and information to assist you in making your own choices about safety for you and your children. (with the support of interpreters when needed.)
Frequently asked questions – Marianne’s Place shelter
Who can come to Marianne’s Place?
How do I contact Marianne’s Place?
If I call Marianne’s Place or the Crisis Lines will you call the police?
Do I have to be physically abused to come to Marianne’s Place?
Do I have to live in Guelph to stay at Marianne’s Place?
Can I come to Marianne’s Place if I am being stalked or harassed?
How many people stay at Marianne’s Place in a year?
Will you talk to me even if I don’t want to leave my own home?
How do I make a donation to Marianne’s Place?
Who can come to Marianne’s Place?
Women over the age of 16 who have experienced abuse (whether it is emotional, sexual, financial, physical abuse and/or stalking) can stay at Marianne’s Place with their children. Male children can stay at the shelter if they are 16 or younger. Marianne's Place strives to be accessible to all women. We welcome women of all backgrounds and income-levels, Aboriginal women, women living with disabilities, immigrant women, refugee women, women of all sexual orientations, and trans women.
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How do I contact the Marianne’s Place?
You can contact the shelter by phoning our 24-Hour Crisis Lines at 519 836 5710 or 1 800 265 7233 for immediate and confidential phone support.
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If I call Marianne’s Place or the Crisis Lines will you call the police?
No. We do not call the police unless there is an immediate danger to yourself or your children or unless you ask us to call the police.
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Do I have to be physically abused to come to the shelter?
No. Marianne’s Place also offers support to women experiencing:
- emotional abuse,
- verbal abuse,
- sexual abuse,
- financial abuse
- and/or stalking.
If you are not safe staying where you live because of abuse, you can stay at Marianne's Place.
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Do I have to live in Guelph to go to Marianne’s Place?
No. Any woman living in Wellington County or Guelph can come to Marianne’s Place. Within Wellington County we can help arrange for transportation to Marianne’s Place. We have also supported women from other counties and provinces. However, cannot provide transportation support outside of the Guelph-Wellington area.
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Can I come to Marianne’s Place if I am being stalked or harassed?
Yes. Marianne’s Place is a safe place to stay if you are worried about your safety and have nowhere else to go. We support women who have experienced violence from an intimate partner, and we also support women who have been abused by other people such as a landlord, neighbours, friends, or relatives.
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How many people come to Marianne’s Place in a year?
In 2008 Marianne’s Place supported a total of 185 women and 104 children from Guelph and Wellington County.
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Will you talk to me even if I don’t want to leave my own home?
Yes. When you call our crisis lines at 519 836 5710 or 1 800 265 7233, a trained support person will listen to you and answer your questions. They can also help you make a safety plan, get information about other kinds of support in the community or get connected with a counsellor in our Transitional and Housing Support Program, Rural Women’s Support Program or our Sexual Assault Centre. You can do all of this without staying at Marianne’s Place or leaving the place where you live.
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How do I make a donation to Marianne’s Place?
Contact main office
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While You’re Here … Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to bring?
Will I get my own room at Marianne’s Place?
Will I have to share?
How will my basic needs be met?
What if I need a lawyer?
Can I cook my own food when I’m at the shelter?
I have a newborn...
What can my kids do at the shelter?
What can I do while I’m at the shelter?
What if I use a wheelchair to get around?
What do I need to bring?
If you can, bring what you use everyday: clothing for yourself and children, medications, identification, address book, bank book, cigarettes , your Child's favourite toy or blanket. Bring any legal documents you may need such as: custody papers, restraining orders, copies of financial papers etc. If you have a young child, try to bring their infant or car seat. Unfortunately, we are not able to store large items (such as furniture).
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Marianne’s Place strives to accommodate the needs of every woman facing abuse. Our facilities include:
- 2 wheelchair-accessible rooms
- 3 wheelchair accessible bathrooms
- Ramp way, alarm strobes, sensory alarm clocks
- Arrangements can be made for support workers at the shelter
We offer individual and group support for women while staying at the shelter. We also have TV lounges and computers for all shelter residents to use. While you are staying at the shelter you can continue on with the daily activities you would usually do. You will also need to spend time working on finding a place to live and setting up supports and resources for when you leave.
We have a number of play spaces at the shelter as well as daily programming for all the children staying at the shelter.
We provide for the basic needs of your infant including diapers, wipes, formula and baby food as needed. We can also connect you to community support for you and your child.
We have a staff person who prepares dinner meals for everyone staying at the shelter. But you are free to prepare a meal on your own. We provide items for all meals and if you have dietary restrictions or cultural food needs we will also attend to these as best as possible.
We can help with referrals to lawyers and legal aid, as well as provide accompaniment support if you need.
We provide shelter, food and basic toiletries during your stay. For any other resources or supports that we cannot provide ourselves, we will connect you to community supports.
Marianne’s Place is a communal living space and you share all the facilities outside of your bedroom (see above)
Families staying at Marianne’s Place will be given their own bedroom, while single individuals will have a shared room.