Donate today at faithworks.ca

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"Generosity is the best way of becoming

more, more, and more joyful"

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Book of Joy

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The following article is taken from the website of one of our ministry partners,

Inn from the Cold in Newmarket.



IFTC is an example of the outreach that your donation to FaithWorks supports.

Homelessness in York Region

 The facts about homelessness in York Region

In the whole of York Region there exists only one men’s shelter, one family shelter, three youth shelters, one men’s/women shelter and two women’s shelters, all for a population of over 1.033 million (2011). The following was estimated in a 2012 study by The Homeless Hub, a web-based research library in York Region:

·     2,891 individuals were estimated to be staying in shelters.

·     216 emergency and transitional housing units and beds were available.

·     10,892 individuals received social assistance (from Ontario Works)

As of today, here are some statistics for York Region:

·     400 people are homeless and even more are just one lost job, abusive relationship, accident or illness away from homelessness.

·     52% of renter households in York Region are spending 30% or more on housing – the highest in the GTHA

·     1% is our community’s rental vacancy rate

·     11 years is how long individuals need to wait for affordable housing with the waitlist topping 17,000

During the 2019-2020 winter shelter season, Inn From The Cold had 4,273 guests from mid-November thru to June 1st. We provided 21,438 meals, 210 days in operation which includes the two month season extension due to the covid-19 pandemic, and distributed 1,719 pieces of clothing.

Homelessness can create a feeling of being invisible to the rest of society. Our goal is to not only offer food and shelter but also to help individuals gain the skills and confidence to find work, housing and a sense of community. You can help us by becoming a volunteer or by making a donation Homelessness affects us all, become a part of the solution.

Our Solution

75% of the people completing our Stability Now transitional housing program are successfully housed for six months or more.

By the end of 2024, we will finish construction of a new, 16,000 square foot housing centre featuring a 3.5 fold increase in the number of transitional housing units plus an emergency shelter and programming space. With this purpose-built new home we will support even more people to transition to stable housing.

To help construct and outfit our hew home, we launched All Inn! Our campaign to End Homelessness under the leadership of Newmarket Mayor, John Taylor. At $2.5 million, this is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our 18-year history. We are so proud that 100% of our volunteer Board of Directors and our campaign volunteers have already donated and we are confident that the generosity of our community will help make our ambitious vision a reality.

Defining homelessness

There is more than one “official” definition of homelessness. This is because there are certain groups of people who experience homelessness in different ways, for example, the ‘hidden’ homeless individuals who couch surf or stay at friends/family etc. but all homelessness is characterized by extreme poverty coupled with a lack of stable housing. 

The many faces of homelessness

Often people wonder why someone is experiencing homelessness. The reasons vary and are as individual as each person. For some, it is the lack of affordable housing, poverty, devastating life events, relationship breakdowns, mental health/or substance use issues, physical health, and victimization. Often it can be a combination of these that people who are homeless are experiencing.

The stigma associated with the homeless only serves to exacerbate peoples’ situations. Most people experiencing homelessness don’t look anything like the traditional stereotypes. Extremely limited choices make it seem that someone has “chosen” to be homeless. Highly educated, hardworking, honest, compassionate, funny, wonderful people are all experiencing homelessness.

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A $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant for 2023

A generous donor has offered a $100,000 matching challenge grant for all new and increased donations. That means for every dollar raised over last year’s amount, by an individual or parish, FaithWorks receives an extra dollar. We encourage you to make a special effort this year –

doing a little more can make twice the difference.

Donate today at faithworks.ca or use the QR code

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FaithWorks Sermon or Presentation

To assist and inspire, you can arrange for a sermon, presentation or visit by representatives of our ministry partners, the Director of Stewardship Development, Peter Misiaszek, or me, by contacting the FaithWorks Speakers Bureau at

fwspeakersbureau@toronto.anglican.ca

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If you wish to highlight your Parish's events in support of FaithWorks, please forward the details to faithworks@toronto.anglican.ca

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FaithWorks Videos



The FaithWorks website, faithworks.ca has been updated with new videos to promote FaithWorks and our ministry partners. There are short, medium and long videos to include in your parish's online presence or in-person gatherings. They can be downloaded directly from the website.

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