A Lethbridge organization that helps women in crisis might have to close its doors after it was denied a grant from the federal government.

Womanspace Resource Centre offers assistance to women who need help with such things as filing tax returns, finding housing and opening bank accounts or entering the workforce and becoming independent after a divorce.

But for the first time in 25 years, the centre was denied funding this year from the federal department for the Status of Women.

'We cannot serve clients right now. We simply don't have the money to do it'—Tina Shingoose Fancy, interim director

"We cannot serve clients right now. We simply don't have the money to do it, we don't have the manpower to do it," said Tina Shingoose Fancy, the interim director of Womanspace.

The resource centre assists about one thousand women every year. If it is forced to close, there will be a big social services gap to fill in Lethbridge, according to Shingoose Fancy.

"There is no place that we can direct our clients. Absolutely no place," she said. "And it's concerning because all of the social agencies in the city refer clients to us."

Former client Dawn Zimmerman said Womanspace helped her start over after a failed marriage.

"I'm independent now where I wouldn't have been had I not had the program," she said. "I was at a complete loss of where to go, how to function. It was extremely tough.

"The eviction notices were coming from the landlord, and we were at, buy food or pay rent. And my kids need to eat," she said.

Zimmerman credits Womanspace with helping her get into subsidized housing, sort out her tax troubles and find a job.

The resource centre only has enough rent money to last last until the end of summer, Shingoose Fancy said.

And she is still waiting for an answer from Ottawa as to why the grant was denied. Calls from the CBC to the department for the Status of Women were not returned.