In this edition of "Your Redwood":

• Congratulate The Redwood’s Women in Trades: HVAC Staffing as a new class begins their training!

• Take The Redwood’s Black History Month Quiz to expand your knowledge of Black History, Black Excellence and Black Futures!  

• Plan to attend The Redwood exhibit at the Toronto History Museums’ upcoming presentation, Transforming Grief: Loss and Togetherness in COVID-19!

And...

• You can help women and children to build safer lives by making a gift to The Redwood on International Women’s Day! 

Join us in welcoming the 10 new participants in The Redwood’s Women in Trades: HVAC Staffing program as they begin their training this month! This is our biggest class ever!  

The Redwood has long recognized that when leaving an abusive relationship many women find it difficult to secure the kind of well-paid job they need to support their families on their own. This can lead a woman to return to a dangerous situation, especially when she has children to feed.

And so two years ago, The Redwood launched HVAC Staffing, a tuition-free program that supports women, 2-spirit, non-binary, and trans people who have been affected by gender-based violence to pursue training and a career in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) industry. 

Why HVAC? Because the industry needs workers, and the work offers livable wages and stable job opportunities. 

In the words of one graduate… “The Redwood’s HVAC Staffing is helping me become financially independent. And financial independence means I can finally make plans and have control over my future.” 

Read more about The Redwood HVAC Staffing program here.  

To mark Black History Month, Redwood staff have been participating in a quiz to expand our knowledge – and you can join in. 

If you don’t have an answer to one of the 16 questions, we encourage you to do research – the quiz is about learning.

And once you’ve completed the quiz, press “submit” to see the answers! 

The Redwood is honoured to be one of eight community groups invited to be featured in the Toronto History Museums’ exploration of the experiences of marginalized communities during COVID-19.

The exhibition will launch on Thursday, March 23^rd, 2023 at the Toronto History Museums’ Fort York site.

You can look forward to experiencing:

• a collaborative artwork created by teenagers who were living in the shelter at the height of the pandemic, and who took part in art classes led by our longest serving volunteer, Evan Tapper. Evan is a visual artist who is also the Director of the School of Continuing Studies at OCAD University. 

• a short film about the launch and impact of iDetermine.ca, The Redwood’s digital helpline, featuring Executive Director, Abi Ajibolade and our former Communications Coordinator, Akilah Downey.

• an interview with a participant in The Redwood’s HVAC Staffing program featuring a display of the “tools of the trade”.

More details will soon be available at the Toronto History Museum's webpage.

Your generous gifts are critical to women and children who turn to The Redwood for safe shelter from abuse. You can help by making a “purchase” from our Safe Haven Online Store:  

$20 New Socks and Underwear: Your gift will outfit new residents with urgently needed basics.

$75 Birthday Party: Treat a woman or child living in the Emergency Shelter with a special birthday celebration!

$150 Yoga for Moms: Provide self-care for women living in the shelter with a one-hour group yoga class designed especially for them!

Are you experiencing abuse?

Êtes-vous victime d'abus?