A Place to Begin Again

A Place to Begin Again

Regenesis Centre builds belonging and lasting recovery for 2SLGBTQIA+ adults in Winnipeg.

Photo credit: Ian McCausland

As Cindy Foster walks through the beautiful space at Regenesis Centre for Recovery (RCR), she can’t hide her excitement as they welcome their first guests through the doors. Now, as the first guests have arrived, a waitlist has already formed.  “We haven’t had trouble filling beds,” says Foster. “The expressed need from the community is greater than our capacity for service at this time.”  

RCR is a long-term, live-in addictions and mental health program designed for women and gender-diverse adults from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

Foster is the executive director and founder of RCR, but her path to the RCR started on the front lines. Previously working in an extensive, mixed-gender live-in recovery program, Foster heard the same stories again and again: 2SLGBTQIA+ folks not feeling seen or safe in recovery spaces, and short stays that ended before life could stabilize. The overall system resembled a revolving door that spun people back out on the street. “Significant lifestyle change takes time: time to heal, to connect to care, to rebuild. We’d rather serve fewer people well than rush people out the door,” she says.

“I kept meeting people who didn’t fit neatly into the gender binary of ‘men’ or ‘women,’ or who identified as queer or transgender, and had experienced harm in other spaces,” says Foster.

“I’d hear about instances of violence and a basic lack of understanding about what 2SLGBTQIA+ folks need in recovery. I remember thinking, If this doesn’t exist in Winnipeg or Manitoba, then we have to build it.”

The idea for RCR took root in 2019. After receiving charitable status in 2021, the organization began securing grants, and in 2023 provincial funding helped the team secure their first location and begin staffing. The name, chosen alongside early board members, points to the heart of the work. “Regenesis means rebirth,” says Foster. “We want people to come here cocooned in safety, and leave ready for their own new beginning.” 

RCR’s model reflects the commitment to rebirth and belonging to community. Length of stay is six to 12 months, guided by individualized treatment plans, with an outreach program to maintain the relationship after graduation. “For us, success isn’t only ‘How many people did you serve?’” Foster says. “It’s What does life look like after you leave us? We want people to feel just as supported in the community as they did inside our walls.” 

What sets RCR apart is the wrap-around secondary care Foster and the board have shaped. Programming is tailored to queer identities and layered with practical supports. “We cover the whole person,” she says. “Emotional well-being, relationships, healthy sexuality, money management, spirituality, Indigenous cultural practices, plus connections to organizations like Sunshine House and ROAR (Rainbow Outpatient Addictions Recovery). A big part of recovery is finding your people. We want you to build a support network that lasts.” 

Belonging is intentional from first contact and built into the model of care. RCR accepts applications from women and gender-diverse adults and prioritizes those who also self-identify as racial equity-seeking, living with a disability, and/or experiencing housing instability. Representation is standard, not treated as an add-on. From employees to the board, every layer of RCR reflects the communities it serves.

“When people are supported by others who share parts of their identity, they feel seen,” Foster says. “You’re not being told what to do by a stranger; you’re working alongside someone who gets it. That changes everything.”

Safety includes clinical realities, and while the current house is not a medical site, a future withdrawal-management (detox) program is central to RCR’s vision. “Early stabilization is medical,” Foster says plainly. “People need supervised care when they stop using. We want end-to-end safety, from withdrawal management through long-term recovery and back into community.” 

Foster points to Sunshine House, ROAR, Shared Health, and Main Street Project as key collaborators. These are the organizations that meet people in the community, provide housing and/or resources, and now share referral paths with RCR. “We sit in the middle,” she says. “Long-term treatment that’s queer-specific, and together we can keep people connected from first contact to stable housing.” 

There are many challenges, especially for new, grassroots, 24/7 live-in care facilities. The work is heavy, and so is the context. “We’re opening in a time when queer people are being loudly dehumanized in some places,” she says. “But that doesn’t defeat me. It fuels me to do the work more and to widen my compassion. If we can protect people in our corner of the province and create a model that ripples outward, that matters.” 

Her message to anyone hesitating to seek help is gentle and direct. “Reach out,” Foster says. “Even before every piece is in place, we can point you to care, introduce you to community, and walk with you while you navigate systems. Try to picture the future you want and then take one step that lines up with that vision. You don’t have to do it alone.” 

Asked what she’s most looking forward to, Foster doesn’t pause. “Seeing our first cohort in the house and hearing the first graduation stories,” she says. “Someone saying, ‘I felt safe here. I found my people. I’m ready for what’s next.’ That’s the whole point.” 

“Rebirth isn’t about erasing the past,” says Foster. “It’s about being held long enough, and with enough respect, that you can begin again—on your own terms, in your own community.” 

Regenesis Recovery Centre received a 2025 Multi-Year Grant of $100,000 annually for four years ($400,000 total). 

To learn more about Regenesis Recovery Centre Inc, visit regenesisrecovery.com