Some commitments don't require a detailed roadmap — they require conviction. Kindred Credit Union's new partnership with Marillac Place in Kitchener is exactly that kind of commitment. We are proud to come alongside this organization not at the height of its recognition, but at the beginning of its next chapter — as a believer in what it is becoming.
Marillac Place is the only 24/7 staffed transitional shelter in Waterloo Region dedicated exclusively to supporting women who are pregnant or parenting a child under two, regardless of their age, race, or the circumstances that led to their experience of homelessness.
For over 30 years, they have been helping women with young children move from crisis to stability by providing transitional shelter, parenting education, and life skills development. They walk alongside each mother during the most formative time in her child's life, offering trauma-informed care that makes a stable future possible for them both.
The need is urgent. The earliest years of life shape brain development, emotional health, and long-term wellbeing — and when babies experience housing instability during this critical period, the effects can last a lifetime. 36% of the women Marillac Place serves reported experiencing homelessness as children. Without early intervention, instability repeats across generations. Marillac Place exists to break that cycle — before it takes hold.
What makes Marillac Place remarkable is the depth and intentionality of their approach. Mothers who come to Marillac Place receive 24-hour guidance and support, continue their education, and are enabled with the life skills they need to care for themselves and their child.
This includes on-site mental health and addictions counselling, weekly goal-setting and skills sessions, connections to community resources, and access to material supports throughout their stay. Their programming is built on a strengths-based, person-centred philosophy — one that treats every woman who walks through their doors as capable of rewriting her story.
Housing stability is at the core of Marillac Place's mission — and critically, their support does not end when a resident moves on. In collaboration with community partners, Marillac Place provides clients with a specialized housing advisor who guides them through every step of securing independent housing. And their AfterCare Program extends that support well beyond residency, offering ongoing visits, material resources, grocery support, and advocacy with landlords — a thoughtful, graduated model designed to bridge the gap between shelter and lasting independence.
This is the kind of long-view, whole-person thinking that Kindred deeply respects.
Marillac Place is growing. They are developing new programs, deepening their care model, and expanding their capacity to serve more mothers and children facing homelessness in our region. There is significant work ahead — and significant potential. Marillac Place sees the gaps in service, lagging data collection and missing links between access to services and those that needs them. They are working to build a better way forward through infrastructure, partnership and access to supports and transitions that build toward long-term client success.
Kindred Credit Union wants to be part of that story from the beginning.
We are investing in Marillac Place not because the path ahead is fully mapped, but because the mission is clear, the leadership is committed, and the community need is undeniable. We believe in the power of getting in early — of saying we see what you are building, and we want to help you build it — before all the details are settled and the outcomes are guaranteed.
As Marillac Place grows and evolves, Kindred will grow alongside them — ready to respond to needs as they emerge, to support the women and children they serve, and to help connect this remarkable organization to the broader community it calls home.
We believe the Waterloo Region community has much more to discover about Marillac Place and the vital role it plays. If this story resonates with you — as a potential donor, volunteer, or community advocate — we encourage you to learn more and get involved. This chapter is just beginning and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
To learn more about Marillac Place and their programs, visit marillacplace.ca.