In Spirit of Unity
Housing Support
Our Housing team work with community clients who are homeless, precariously housed, or at risk of eviction to attain and sustain stable housing. Working in collaboration with the City’s Shelter, Support & Housing Administration unit, our housing workers help clients access subsidized affordable housing or financial supports such as the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) program. We provide financial assistance for lease signings and housing set up, as well as arrears supports to prevent eviction or other emergencies.
Our Housing Workers offer Life Skills & Stabilization programming to support our clients once they are housed. The program is built upon the platform of the Seven Grandfather Teachings and walks clients through personal needs, societal needs, and independent needs. Housing clients are assessed at intake and re-assessed after placement to co-identify their short- and long-term needs for community-based support.
My name is Patsy
I was born in Winnipeg and have five beautiful children - ages 19, 16, 15, 11 and 8 – who are my world and biggest inspiration for living.
I thought I used to feel a lot of shame. But I have since learned that shame is an emotion that I couldn’t grow from. I felt guilt and, over time, learned to change my point of view and see things in a more positive way.
I realized that, as a young mother who had traumas and experiences that I never dealt with or spoke about, this was the time I needed to be able to focus on my healing journey – to learn my roots, regain a sense of belonging, and be an independent and proud mom, daughter, sister, aunt, and niece … Read the complete story.
Support for Basic Needs
Our Food Security and Basic Needs Initiative continues to provide weekly gift cards to Indigenous women on probation, parole or bail and their households. Started in response to Covid-19, this program has been increasingly important with supply chain issues and global inflation driving up most home expenses.
The Outreach team also continues to deliver hygiene support through the community backpack program and other local agencies supporting the homeless and precariously housed. In Fall 2023, winter outreach will provide our women with coats, boots, warm mittens, blankets, and more. We also provide laptops and prepaid mobile phones to ensure clients have the digital tools for today’s online life.
Our annual Tkaronto Turkey Day, which is being held in December this year, will offer 500 turkeys with all the fixings to those in need.
Daughters/Sisters of the Earth
Daughters of the Earth is a new program that was introduced in 2022 to provide after-care to women in the community on probation or bail, including graduates of our Healing Lodge.
This 16-week day program provides cultural supports, counselling, group activities, skills for daily living such as financial literacy, and links to supports for housing and health.
We’ll also be launching Sisters of the Earth, a bridging program at Vanier Centre for Women, to provide pre-release supports and help chart a clear path to community-based supports once they are out.
Together the Daughters & Sisters programs will help reduce Indigenous women’s vulnerability to the same criminalizing forces that led to their prior conflict with the law.
