Community
Located on 9 Ferguson Road in Dartmouth, our community centre is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 1:00pm. The centre is a safe and confidential environment for current and former sex workers to seek support and services.
At the house, individuals have access to fresh coffee and snacks; a daily food delivery by Feed Nova Scotia; a monthly food order; access to a telephone and computer; access to a shower, towels, and hygiene products; and, a clothing closet.
Additional services available include peer support and crisis intervention, addiction referrals, court support and housing support, assistance in building resumes, finding jobs and obtaining education referrals.
Additionally, thanks to the generous support of the United Way, the programming offered through the drop-in includes:
Active Bodies, Active Lives
The Active Bodies, Active Lives program is designed to create a supportive environment for individuals engaged in the sex industry.
This program enables its participants to experience being a team member, increase their individual safety, and maintain a positive relationship with physical activity. Designed to create a supportive environment for its street-involved participants, the program offers:
- Access to physical activity (i.e. yoga, bowling and walking club)
- Access to “Self Defence and Survival Awareness”
- Access to opportunities for obtaining the techniques, skills and knowledge to safely engage in physical activities.
It is through strategic partnerships and networks that the Active Bodies, Active Lives program is able to provide these opportunities and continue to promote individual health and safety.
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Lives
The aim of the Health Bodies, Healthy Lives program is to increase program users’ awareness, knowledge, access and skill around nutrition and healthy, affordable food choices.
The program is designed to encourage program users to engage with food in meaningful ways at both an individual and community level. The activities and opportunities offered include:
- How to shop healthy
- How to cook healthy
- Nutrition workshops & collective kitchens
- Information on growing, harvesting and preserving food
Keystone Konnections
In Halifax, but also world-wide, the sex industry is quite diverse. The industry encompasses activities such as erotic dancing, escort services, phone sex operators, and street-based, in-call and out-call sex work.
In order to understand and address the rights of all sex workers, it is important to include the voices of individuals from all sectors of the industry.
Keystone Konnections is one means of connecting workers from all sectors of the sex industry in order to not only create engaged and empowered citizens, but also a movement that is cohesive to the needs of all workers. This virtual and telephone outreach services helps connect workers and supports their mobilization and empowerment efforts.
This online effort is intended to reach a large number of individuals which helps to increase the voice and power of the sex workers rights movement.
This service helps sex workers to learn advocacy skills, engage with the practical aspects of labour and human rights for sex work, and connect with a national and international sex worker’s rights movement.