For the past four years, Selah Place has been walking alongside mothers in difficult circumstances, helping them gain practical skills, stability, and support rooted in faith.
The ministry was created with a simple but powerful vision: to foster mothers so they can keep their own children out of the foster care system.
Administrative Assistant, Adele Thompson, says maintaining dignity is a key part of the ministry’s mission.
“And it’s really important to us that when our moms come here, this is a place of dignity,” Thompson said. “It’s not ugly, it’s not run down. We want it to look nice for our gals because they’re created in God’s image.”
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Selah Place works closely with Child and Family Services, supporting mothers who are working toward reunification with their children. The ministry also supports and walks alongside women to pursue their Grade 12 education, find employment stability, and develop practical life skills.
Programs include parenting classes focused on child development and growth, along with lessons in cooking, cleaning, budgeting, nutrition, and household maintenance. The organization offers four classes each week.
“For some people, they have that built in, that’s just how they were raised,” Thompson explained. “But there are a lot of people where that was missing, and they were just surviving. So those are some of the skills.”
Selah Place does not place a strict timeline on how long mothers can stay connected with the ministry.
Thompson says the organization has seen significant growth and progress among the women they support.
“After being here for a few months, CFS has given them full access to their kiddos, so their kiddos are with them full time,” she said.
In many cases, Thompson says files can be closed within six to seven months, with mothers regaining full custody of their children.
Selah Place first opened its doors in a four-bedroom house in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village neighbourhood. Last July, the organization moved into a larger building on Washington Street, allowing it to support even more mothers and children.
The new location gives mothers and their children their own living spaces, complete with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
Ministry focused on helping mothers heal
Selah Place was founded after Melanie Reimer and her husband Mike felt called to become foster parents. However, the couple was denied because a social worker felt they already had too many children, as Melanie was expecting their fifth child at the time.
Melanie later felt God was redirecting their path toward helping mothers directly.
The ministry’s goal is to help break cycles of generational trauma and instability.
“When it’s rooted in Christ, that’s where change happens,” Thompson said.
She also credits the mothers for the work they put in every day.
“A lot of them are having to work through some pretty hard stuff that they experienced in childhood, a lot of trauma,” she said. “They’re a pretty incredible group of women.”
Last weekend, Selah Place hosted a Mother’s Day brunch at Emmanuel Christian School. About 150 people attended the event, which featured a bloom bar where guests could create their own bouquets, along with a silent auction fundraiser.