“Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts.”
~ L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
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LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
Dear YWCA Toronto Community,
With 2022 coming to close, I want to reflect on some of our achievements in a deeply challenging year and focus on the immense hope that underscores all that we do.
COVID variants continued to impact how we provided services and how we connected with our communities in person. The war in Ukraine, gun violence in the United States, the discovery of unmarked graves in Canada, and the senseless death of Mahsa Amini in Iran all shocked us to our core. Yet amidst the devastation and grief, still we mobilized for change. Rooted in hope and the commitment of our community members, donors, partners and staff we achieved phenomenal outcomes. The late bell hooks said it best about how we do our work, “Hope is essential to any political struggle for radical change when the overall social climate promotes disillusionment and despair.”
Carried over from 2022, we further reinforced our commitment to racial justice by completing our anti-racism audit in partnership with an external firm, staff and participants. The staff team and Board will be reviewing the key findings and recommendations. 2023 will surely involve putting much of the feedback into action.
Inspired by healing power of art, we expanded our community of programs with Inspirations Studio in July. Located at 389 Church Street, the studio is a low-barrier ceramics program which provides arts education for women and gender diverse people who have experienced the impacts of poverty and housing instability.
I am also proud to share that we received $451,962 from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for our expressive art-based therapy programs in support of mothers and their children who have survived violence – thank you PHAC for your generosity!
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Photo | Courtesy of Social Planning Toronto |
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Advancing Gender Equity in Toronto
Along with over 1,000 community members, YWCA Toronto participated in a city-wide consultation with Social Planning Toronto to capture the experiences of women and gender diverse residents. These stor ies and experiences were gathered to contribute
to the City of Toronto’s Intersectional Gender Equity Strategy.
The Strategy is scheduled
to be considered by City
Council next year, but to address gender equity comprehensively the City needs to acknowledge and address gender-based violence and the relationship between City services and gendered experiences of safety and poverty.
Review the report and recommendations for the City.
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Photo | Courtesy of Toronto Community Housing
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Transfer of Homes to YWCA Toronto
Earlier this month, our Chief Executive Officer, Heather McGregor joined Mayor John Tory, Members of Parliament and representatives of Toronto Community Housing (THCH), the Neighbourhood Land Trust and Circle Community Land Trust to announce the transfer of 760 homes to two nonprofits, which includes YWCA Toronto. We are grateful to our partners in this effort, and we are thrilled to expand our housing portfolio with more affordable housing options.
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Adopt-A-Family Program
For many, the holidays can be the hardest time of the year. Help provide a sense of belonging this winter and make the season brighter for women, girls, and gender diverse people using YWCA Toronto programs and services. Your donation helps provide families with gift cards to use at their discretion for warm clothing, gifts for their children, festive meals and more.
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Photo | Courtesy of YWCA Canada |
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Taking Action on Online Hate in Canada
Recently, YWCA Canada released the #BlockHate report, focused on the voices, lived experiences, and strategies shared by young women and gender diverse youth aged in Canada. This report is a response to the Government of Canada’s commitment to introduce a regulatory framework for online safety.
The report provides five fundamental considerations for all levels of government as they make polices regarding online hate and offers specific recommendations and ethical guidelines to create safer online spaces in Canada.
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Photo | Courtesy of Maytree |
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Living Under the Poverty Line
Maytree released Welfare in Canada, a report which examines welfare incomes across the country. The report highlights the inadequate nature of Canada’s provincial social assistance programs. A single person on Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program both receive yearly incomes landing them below the poverty line. The report also points out the depth of poverty experienced by social assistance recipients has increased over time and suggests that the rates today are even more inadequate than they were 20 years ago.
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National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
December 6th was the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This day was formalized to commemorate the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, where 14 women were tragically murdered in an act of gender-based violence.
To honour these women, and all other women and gender diverse people lost to gender based violence, YWCA’s across the country hosted vigils in remembrance. At YWCA Toronto we are committed to providing emergency shelters, supportive and affordable housing, access to micro-loans through the December 6th Fund and expressive arts programs to help survivors heal and gain stronger economic futures.
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WOMAN. LIFE. FREEDOM.
This past weekend, YWCA Toronto staff and community members gathered to protest in solidarity with the girls and women of Iran. We gathered at Queen’s Park to march with Iran Lovers Toronto alongside our Hopeful Hair installation, a joint initiative by YWCA Metro Vancouver and YWCA Toronto. Our installation is in support of the women-led uprising in Iran sparked by the death of a young women named Mahsa Amini by security forces. The Hopeful Hair installation reads “WOMAN. LIFE. FREEDOM.” which has become a rallying cry for the Iranian revolution.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
YWCA Toronto operates on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We are grateful to work on this territory as we strive to build a more equitable and just city for women, girls, and gender diverse people. For a full land acknowledgment, please visit our website.
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