SOFIA House is an acronym for “Support Of Families In Affliction” and is the Greek name for “wisdom”. The Board and staff of SOFIA House believe in the power and wisdom of women helping each other.
SOFIA House was the first second stage facility in Saskatchewan and opened in October 1988, after two years of preparation by a group of dedicated volunteers who identified a need for second stage housing. They educated themselves around issues of family violence; researched services offered in the province; raised funds; leased a four suite apartment building; renovated and furnished it; all through the help of the community and donations.
SOFIA House, through the experiences of its tenants, overtime has adapted to the needs of women and children in second stage housing. Services and programs have expanded and improved to better meet the needs of tenants, particularly in the areas of advocacy, case management and programming focused on family cooperation, relationships, self esteem and social skills.
All of this has largely been funded by short-term grants and fund raising efforts. On May 18, 1994 SOFIA House expanded its capacity so more women and children could take advantage of second stage housing. SOFIA House was able to further expand in July 2020, increasing our capacity from 10 units to 20 units. We continue to evaluate our services and programming regularly to ensure that we are providing best practices for our clients.