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“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set
upon the freedom of my mind.”
~ Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
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LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
Dear YWCA Community,
As the summer nears its end, we have been reflecting on our collective efforts to see a city, province and world free of violence.
August 1st was Emancipation Day, which marks the day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire emancipating more than 800,000 enslaved Africans across the British Empire, including Canada. The City of Toronto recognizes the entire month of August as Emancipation Month, and encourages everyone to uses this time to reflect, educate and celebrate the rich contributions that Peoples of African descent have made to our city and country.
At the end of July, the City of Toronto supported our collective calls for action and unanimously passed a motion to declare gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) an epidemic in Toronto. This showed that community action works! The declaration was derived from the first of 86 recommendations from the 2022 Culleton, Kuzyk and Warmerdam (CKW) inquest in Renfrew Country and championed by many advocacy groups, survivors and violence against women organizations across the city and province.
Following the declaration, we gathered with organizations and stakeholders to acknowledge the significant declaration — as now over 50% of the province of Ontario has declared IPV and GBV an epidemic. We are grateful for our partners in this work and are committed to continuing to work together to end gender-based violence it all its forms.
Thank you for your continued support!
Best,
Sami Pritchard
Interim Director of Advocacy and Communications
YWCA Toronto
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Photographed from left to right: YWCA Toronto Director of Permanent Housing, Alethia Lewis, YWCA Toronto Interim Director of Advocacy and Communications, Sami Pritchard, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, YWCA Toronto Board Chair, Sarah Yaffe, and YWCA Toronto Chief Executive Officer, Heather McGregor. | |
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Housing for All!
Our advocacy efforts surrounding the housing and shelter crisis have continued.
We have proudly supported Progress Toronto and the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants in calls to address the funding shortfall for housing and shelter services, particularly those impacting refugees and asylum seekers.
On August 10th, we hosted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to discuss the housing and shelter crises. As Toronto’s largest provider of housing for women, gender diverse people and their families, we are committed to working with all orders of government to recognize access to housing as a critical pillar of poverty reduction.
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Family Supports at YWCA Toronto
Young mothers and gender diverse parents between the ages of 14-25 years old and their children can access vital supports through YWCA Toronto’s free Teen Mothers’ program. Located in Scarborough, we host group discussions on topics that support a healthy parenting journey. We also provide weekly dinner and grocery distribution, as well as free transportation support to and from the program site.
For more information and to register for the program, contact Cindy-May at 416.266.1232 extension 300 or at cdapaah@ywcatoronto.org.
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Nominations are open for the 43rd YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Awards
Our community is full of amazing women who are opening doors and challenging the status quo. Do you know a woman who is making a difference in the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people? We want to celebrate her!
Every year, YWCA Toronto honours remarkable women who have advanced gender equality across a range of areas such as advocacy, arts, business, education, entrepreneurship, health, philanthropy, social justice and more.
Nominate a woman who is driven to make the world a better place and learn more here.
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Photo | Courtesy of the City of Toronto | |
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Resource Guide for Newcomers
The City of Toronto, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, have created a toolkit for newcomers that provides an introduction to First Nations, Inuit and Métis history, cultures and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples in Toronto. The content covers nationhood, history, and how colonization has evolved. Notably, the toolkit was led and informed by Indigenous and newcomer expertise.
Access the toolkit here.
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Photo | Courtesy of the Federal Housing Advocate | |
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Unaffordability & Lack of Housing are Top Priorities: Federal Housing Advocate
The Federal Housing Advocate recently released their first annual report for 2022-23. According to the report, 77% of stakeholders cited unaffordability of housing as an issue for securing housing, an alarming number but an all too real concern. Further, 1 in 3 stakeholders have experienced wait lists for social housing or shelters, indicating the need for greater transitional and stable housing supports. To learn more about the state of housing in Canada today, read the report here.
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Federal Budget 2024: Submission to 2024 Pre-Budget Consultations
As part of Imagine Canada’s Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition, YWCA Toronto has submitted recommendations to the 2024 Federal Government pre-budget consultation process. The recommendations are focused on collaboration between the sector and Statistics Canada, collecting more and better data about the sector, and ensuring the data collected is presented in easily accessible and understood formats.
Check out the submission to learn more about the group and our priorities here.
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Social Contractors Restoring Housing Units with Green Building
Building Up is a non-profit construction contractor that provides individuals who face barriers to employment with training and holistic supports. Apprentices are mentored in homes the non-profit is tasked to retrofit with a focus on green building. They partner with other social service organizations, including YWCA Toronto, to restore units that might otherwise be unlivable or made unaffordable due to energy inefficiency. Susan Aharan, YWCA Toronto Facility Manager, shared with CBC News that energy consumption has lowered by approximately 30 per cent in units previously retrofitted by Building Up.
Read the full article here.
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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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