Tucked away in a tight but friendly corner in the UC, The Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED) is a student-funded, unique space on-campus. The resource centre is located in Room 107—just past the CIBC ATMs and UC washrooms. The room offers an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere that is open to all students on campus, and offers comfortable couches, free cups of tea, and active listening services.
Originally called the Women’s Resource Centre, the organization changed their name to better portray their mission. According to their website, “For quite some time now the Centre has been open to everyone—not just women-identified folks—but our old name definitely implied that we were a Centre just for women.”
“GRCGED is an intersectional feminist group on campus,” explained Lidia Fourcans, GRCGED’s organizational and outreach coordinator, in an interview with The Ontarion. “We offer resources—we have a library here [that is] open to the public. We also run events and programming all year long, that is intersectional. What we mean by that is gender and feminism intersect with other social justice issues, so we try to partner and collaborate with other organizations on-campus to put together events that reflect that intersectionality.”
“We offer a safer space on campus,” said Lori Guest, volunteer coordinator at GRCGED. “If people need to just come and get away from either oppressive or threatening or stressful situations that they find themselves in. We offer peer support, so active listening. We’re not counsellors, but we do offer that service of being an open and compassionate ear, and provide referrals to other agencies, if people want them. Sometimes people just need to be heard.”
GRCGED provides a variety of helpful services, including the sale of health products at little to no cost. These products include menstrual supplies, pregnancy and ovulation tests, contraceptives, and dental dams, which are used to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases during oral sex.
Along with providing easily accessible health products, the centre also provides its own library of over 3,000 items—including DVDs and zines—that satisfy a diverse range of interests.
“We have a wonderful library and we really encourage people to come and check it out for their papers and things like that,” said Guest.
GRCGED’s resource library provides an extensive collection of books on topics that may be difficult to find at the McLaughlin Library. Topics include, and are not limited to: aging, anti-oppression, art, cultural studies, disabilities, education, feminism, anti-sexist theory and organizing, gender and development, health and wellness, herstories and histories, law and government, parenting, queer studies, relationships, science, sexuality, social sciences, sports, violence, and women and gender centres.
One aspect of GRCGED that makes it stand out from other organizations on campus is the availability of a private room that is open for free. Located at GRCGED’s main location, the room is separate from the rest of the office. Inside, students will find a couch and a few chairs. The room is available to any student, and provides a safe space for anyone who feels the need to be alone on campus.
“There isn’t anywhere on campus, that I’m aware of, that people can go that’s not an office or a washroom stall, where you can close the door and be by yourself for a moment,” said Guest. “So we offer that. I think it’s a huge resource for everyone on campus. Like I said, if they want someone to chat with, we can do that. If somebody wants to come in and just relax for a little bit, ‘Hey can I use the room? I just need some alone time’ we always say of course—unless somebody’s already in there, in which case, you can have the comfy couch and we promise not to talk to you—unless you want to talk.”
The room also contains a sunlamp, which is used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Winter is often a stressful season for those who suffer from SAD, and GRCGED provides this service for free.
For students seeking an active listener, but are hesitant about stepping into GRCGED’s environment right away, the organization provides a seating area and free clothing exchange outside its office doors. Students are welcome to drop by and checkout the clothes, or even just have a nap in the chairs provided.
“It’s one step away from coming inside and talking to people—it can be a nice place for people to find out what we’re about before walking through the door,” explained Guest, referring to the services located just outside of GRCGED’s doors.
For those interested in volunteering with GRCGED, the organization has an active group called Guelphites for Repro Rights, and runs a tabling event during February’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness week called Condoms, Cookies, Choice, Consent, and Contraception (The 5 C’s).
GRCGED also participates in events programming for traditional days such as O-Week (September), Take Back the Night (September), Slutwalk (October), Women’s Herstory Month (October), Queer Identities Week (third week of October), Trans* Identities Week (Nov. 23 to Nov. 20), Montreal Massacre Memorial (Dec. 6), Black History Month (February), International Women’s Week (March 8), and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (May). Students who are interested in getting involved, or would like more information on volunteering options, can contact Lori Guest at loriguest@gmail.com.
Finally, GRCGED also offers two work study positions for students interested in applying for a paid position. The positions vary in responsibilities each year, and students hired are often kept for the full school year.