Dave & Franca Lanyon from the Modern Mystery School present Women’s Habitat Resource Manager Lina Almanzan with $12,000 donation to fund women’s community drop in programs
Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke has received a generous $12,000 donation from the Modern Mystery School to fund their community drop-in programs for their 2017/2018 fiscal year. The drop-ins are hosted at Women’s Habitat’s outreach centre at 140 Islington Avenue in the heart of South Etobicoke and have been a source of vital support for women-identified individuals in the community since the centre opened in 2006.
The funds will provide meals, basic need items, and program supplies and cover transportation for the program participants, many of whom are experiencing low depths of poverty. “The drop-in model provides women the support they need when they are experiencing violence and poverty” says Silvia Samsa, Women’s Habitat’s Executive Director. “We are able to offer them a safe space that is free of judgement, connects them to other women and to our team of dedicated trauma counsellors. These programs are designed to break the social isolation survivors of violence often face and facilitate the opportunity to re-connect with community.”
Women’s Habitat offers a wide variety of drop-in programming with topics covering life skills development, parenting support, housing support and harm reduction, among others. Meals are provided and essential items are distributed, including canned food, diapers and toiletries. Last year the centre hosted 86 drop-in sessions with a total of 1,051 participants.
“Every year we struggle to secure the funding needed to run the drop-ins. Thanks to the Modern Mystery School we can provide every aspect of these vital programs; this year, we won’t have to choose between providing food and providing TTC tokens. We are thrilled and very thankful” say Samsa.
Women’s Habitat provides emergency shelter and outreach services to women and their dependents who are survivors of violence and poverty.
For more information, please contact:
Sojie Tate, Communications Manager, 416-576-4447 state@womens-habitat.ca
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