Welcome Centre Shelter for Women
263 Bridge Avenue N9B 2M1 Windsor, ON, Canada

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus 4375 in Tecumseh for their generous donation of $500! It's been incredible to receive so much support from our community during this holiday season. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much to Kim and Jonathan from Ashley’s Place! They stopped by to drop off holiday bags filled with gifts for our women to open up on Christmas morning. Ashley's Place is an incredible group of individuals who support the Centre year round by prepping move out bags for our women. We are so grateful for their continued support! You can visit their website here to learn more: https://www.experienceparadiseatashleysplace.com/ And find their group on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/3rmiEE9

Yesterday was #NationalHousingDay and today Toronto and Peel regions have gone into lockdown once again. Our question is How can you stay home if you don’t have one? The Ontario shelter system was already overwhelmed before COVID hit, and now more and more tenants are facing evictions during a pandemic. ... What can we do about it? Send a letter and sign a petition that calls for the Government of Ontario and the housing minister to stop unsafe evictions by reinstating the provincial eviction moratorium and postponing eviction hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Letter: https://act.newmode.net/action/stop-unsafe-evictions Petition: https://www.torontotenants.org/evictionban Housing is a human right and it’s our job to hold our government accountable. Click this link to find out more ways you can help #endhomelessness in Canada: https://bit.ly/3kWr5S8

Kelly and Team from CUPE 2286 dropped off a trunk full of items from our wish list!! Thank you CUPE 2286!

Today is #TransgenderDayOfRemembrance, the day that we celebrate and honour the memory of the 350+ trans, non-binary and two-spirit people whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence in 2020. Trans people face discrimination in employment, education, health care, and barriers to legal identification. They also experience an increased risk of sexual assault, poverty, and homelessness, which leads to extreme vulnerability. As a global community, we need to ...do better. Take a look at the video below to learn about 4 trailblazers who paved the way for trans rights in Canada. And click on this link to learn more ways we can help as allies: https://bit.ly/2IVGXHq https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1787639875636

We set out in September to raise enough money to fund Patsy’s Place for a full year, an estimated $30,000. In less than 2 months, you’ve not only made this goal a reality, but you’ve surpassed it! Our campaign is currently at $31,685! Thank you so much to our community of supporters who have been with us every step of the way, spreading the word on social media by sharing our posts, making donations, and fundraising on our behalf. We couldn't have done this without you! If you’d still like to contribute (and perhaps help us reach $32,000?!), there is still time to participate. The campaign will officially end on Saturday, Oct 31st at midnight. Visit our website to make a donation or learn more: https://3030.welcomecentreshelter.com/

We see many people come to our shelter after being illegally evicted from their homes because they were unaware of the legal eviction process and their tenant rights. Here’s some information so we can hopefully prevent more from occurring. The Eviction Process: 1. The Tenant is given a Notice of Termination, which gives instructions on how to avoid eviction. There are 3 ways you can respond:... a) Comply with instructions to resolve the issue and avoid eviction b) Vacate the property by the date specified on the Notice c) Do nothing, and the Landlord takes the next step to evict 2. If the Tenant does not follow the directions on the Notice of Termination by the date specified, the Landlord goes on to apply for eviction through the Landlord Tenant Board. Tenants may remain in the unit at this time. 3. Next, the Tenant receives a Notice of a Hearing. It is important that Tenants attend these hearings, particularly in the cases of wrongful eviction. That's because they are not rescheduled; missed hearings typically result in the Landlord being granted the ability to evict by default. 4. If the Landlord Tenant Board decides to evict after the hearing, they will issue the Tenant an Order of Eviction. This document specifies the date by which the Tenant is required to vacate from the unit. 5. If the Tenant does not vacate by the date on the Order of Eviction, the Court Enforcement Office (The Sheriff) comes and carries out the eviction by removing the tenant from the property. Stay Informed. Avoid Eviction. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Today is the last day of #transawarenessweek leading up to #TransgenderDayOfRemembrance tomorrow, November 20th. Check out this awesome informative post from Schuyler Bailar, Pinkmantaray shared by W.E. Trans Support that outlines some great terminology to know!

The wonderful students and staff of the Canadian College of Health, Science, and Technology have been collecting canned goods for donation all month long. Yesterday representatives Katelynne and Jenna were kind enough to drop off a trunk load to the Centre! Thank you Canadian College for your generous donation!

Girl Up UWindsor is running an online charity auction event this week in our honour! Their charity auction "Bid for a Cause" is now live on their Instagram page (@girlupuwin) and will be running until Nov 23rd. The items are amazing and range from locally made art, jewelry, clothing, gift baskets, yummy treats, and gift certificates! It's the perfect chance to get a headstart on your holiday gift list. Find their Instagram here: https://bit.ly/2IJAT4A... Thank you, Girl Up UWindsor, for striving to empower and lift up women in your community

Tomorrow is your last chance to bid on your favourite piece of art from Shoppers Drug Mart Amherstburg's art auction! All proceeds from their auction will be donated directly to the Welcome Centre . See something you like? There's only one day left... Don't miss out!

@LOCAL444UNIFOR stopped by last week with an incredible gift of $4000 on behalf of their Social Justice Fund !! These funds will be going directly towards 2021 programming to support women in shelter. Thank you so much @LOCAL444UNIFOR !!

TWO DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER! Come dance with us this Saturday at Industry Dance Co.! Join us at 11:00 AM for industrySWEAT and 1:00 PM for Beginner Hip-Hop. All ages and abilities welcome! You can participate online or instudio. Click the event below to reserve your spot. 100% of class proceeds will be donated to the Welcome Centre. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE

Thank you so much to the Return to Work Specialist team from WSIB!! They stopped by last week with a $575 donation and some amazing holiday spirit!!

We’d like to share a special thank you shout out to Windsor-Roseland Rotary Club for donating the most delicious baked goods over the last few weeks! You’ve provided our staff and clients with a wonderful pick-me-up and we couldn't be more appreciative. #WCThanksYou

Thank you so much Women Supporting Women for keeping our bellies full with a delicious Christmas-style dinner! They also dropped off canned goods and non-perishable items for our food bank. Amazing! Women Supporting Women have been dropping meals for our clients every month for the past 2 years and are so wonderful. Thank you again Women Supporting Women!!

We’re only $16 away from reaching our final goal!!! Can you help put us over the edge by making a small donation? All proceeds to go directly to funding Patsy’s Place for the next year! You can make a donation at 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com

Every October Children’s Aid Societies across the province raise awareness about the important role that individuals and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth, and families. We’re dressed in purple today to remind families that help is available and no one is alone! Dress Purple Day is an opportunity to make sure families, especially those facing additional hardships during COVID-19, know that there are resources and services available to help them. On October 27, we dress purple to let them know we are one of the places families can turn to for help, with a mission to provide safe shelter to every woman and every family, every night; no exceptions.

We’d like to give a very special thank you shout out to our top fundraiser from our 30th Anniversary campaign, one of our founding members, Pat Taman. After hearing our call to action, Pat was quick to act and coordinated 34 donors to raise over $2,000 in less than 2 months! As our top fundraiser, she received a prize pack worth over $500, but in true Pat Taman style, she donated it back to the Centre. We had the privilege of interviewing Pat in her home this past September.... When we asked her about her passion for this initiative, here’s what she had to say: Patsy’s Place will provide the children with another room to go, socialize with other children and staff and maybe have a little bit more normalcy in their lives for a few hours. I keep thinking of the families in a room and thinking how difficult that has to be. It may also provide an opportunity for the children to receive some of the help they need in terms of perhaps behaviours or feeling emotional stress. If we’re looking to empower the whole family, we need to empower each part of it in order to make the whole well and working well. In addition to being one of the Welcome Centre’s founding members and our first Executive Director (1990-2005), Pat Taman also had a dedicated career as an elementary school teacher of students with mental health issues, and learning and developmental disabilities. She has sat on the Welcome Centre’s Fundraising committee and been an active member of the Board of Directors. Her six-year term on the Board will be coming to an end in June of 2021. We thank her dearly for her many years of passionate commitment to the Centre. Without her, we would not be where we are today.

Get your Christmas gift shopping done early this year! Stop by Shoppers Drug Mart Amherstburg until Friday to bid on your favourite piece (or pieces) of art at their auction. All proceeds will be benefiting the Welcome Centre. A special thank you to Shoppers Amherstburg for their incredible community support and dedication to women's health!

We ALWAYS need a supply of emergency clothing for women who come into shelter. Some women come in with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and we want to be able to provide them what they need to be comfortable with on their first night in shelter before they are referred to other clothing resources in our community. Please consider donating if you are able, but remember that these are the ONLY in-kind donations we are able to accept right now. If you’re interested in m...aking a financial donation, please consider donating to our 30:30 Anniversary Fundraiser. All funds received before the end of October will be going towards supportive, educational, and recreational programming for children and their families in shelter. You can find more information and a link to donate at: 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com Thank you!

This is a question that we’ve been receiving on the DAILY: Are you accepting any clothing donations or personal items such as toiletries? What about winter jackets? Answer: We are currently NOT able to accept ANY more clothing or toiletry donations at this time, nor winter coats. We just received an enormous outpour of emergency PJs, socks, bras, underwear, and jackets that has left our donation room full to the brim. We have no room for any further clothing/personal item d...onations, and thankfully, no need! However, what we are in need of are BATH TOWELS. If you’d like to make a donation, you can drop it off at our main shelter located at 263 Bride Ave. Ring the doorbell and someone will come out to meet you. Please note that these are absolutely the ONLY personal item donations we are accepting at this time. Thank you very much! If you’re looking for a place to donate your used clothing we would suggest dropping them off at Saint Vincent de Paul as our clients are able to receive free clothing throughout our partnership with them. Questions? Shoot us a message!

On this Thanksgiving weekend, we have so much to be grateful for here at the Centre. We are excited to announce that we’ve just received a $7,000 donation as well as a $500 donation towards our 30:30 campaign! This brings us just $1,500 away from reaching our final goal of funding Patsy’s Place Programming! We are so very thankful to have the support of such an incredible and passionate community of advocates enabling us to serve women and families to the best of our ability.... None of what we do would be possible without you. If you’re in the holiday spirit, we ask that you share our appeal with your friends and family this Thanksgiving weekend and help us reach our final goal of $30,000... we’re so close!! You can find our campaign page here: 3030.welcomecentreshelter.com Thank you again to all of our supporters who have made a donation or fundraised on our behalf. We hope you have a very happy holiday :)

Our Patsy's Place portable is midway through painting and repairs, and she appears to have sprung a small leak- noticed water mark on one of the walls after rain on weekend! Contractor friends- does anyone have a few minutes to look at it and find our leak?? Contact Dawn Toth at [email protected]!

Did you know that today is World Mental Health Day AND World Homeless Day? Today we aim to bring awareness towards mental health and foster a discussion on how to best address the needs of those experiencing homelessness. COVID-19 has made a severe impact on mental health. Many of us are experiencing increased isolation and stressors, anxiety, depression, and more. Imagine dealing with these impacts while also trying to handle the stress of becoming homeless during a global... pandemic. Now imagine you have 3 young children that you need to bring into shelter with you. You may be thinking, Will my children be safe? Will they fall behind in school? How scared are they? Now imagine YOU are one of those children. The world is an uncertain place, you can’t go home, you can’t see your friends or go to school as normal, your parents are stressed, and you can barely leave your hotel room (which you share with your entire family). Unsurprisingly, children in shelter experience rates of mental health issues 4X higher than their housed peers. These children, their families, their experience in shelter, and their future wellbeing are the focus of our 30:30 fundraiser. We know these kids deserve better. They deserve to access the support they need during this difficult time in their lives, especially during a global pandemic. This World Mental Health and Homeless Day, YOU can make a real difference. Join us in spreading awareness by sharing our campaign with your network, and please consider donating if you can. Every little bit helps. Visit 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com to learn more.

Throughout the month of October, you'll be able to make a donation to The Welcome Centre when you visit your local Shoppers Drug Mart! All proceeds from their Growing Women's Health campaign will be benefiting the Centre :) Thank you, Shoppers Drug Mart, for your continued efforts to put women's health first!

Make Halloween special for local children staying in shelter! The Centre is looking for gently used children’s Halloween costumes for boys and girls of all ages. You can drop off your donation at any time by visiting the Centre, located at 263 Bridge Ave. Please ring the doorbell and a staff member will come outside to collect your donation. We also ask that costumes are cleaned before being donated. Thank you!

We are blown away by the support you have shown us on our emergency clothing donations post. We shared an ask for clothing donations last week, and since then, our post has been shared over 200x across social platforms as well as having been featured on the radio! We have received an OUTPOUR of donations. Thank you to everyone who has contributed, you’ve shown us time and time again how incredible the Windsor-Essex community is at supporting each other. If you’d still like to make a donation, we are collecting gently used children’s Halloween costumes until the 31st. You can drop by the Centre at 263 Bridge Ave at any time and one of our staff will be there to collect your donation. Thank you!

FAQ: What prevents children in shelter from getting to school? Answer: There are many barriers when it comes to children in shelter accessing education. Oftentimes, the shelter is located outside of the child’s school district and they can no longer take their bus to school as usual. This can leave families in a tough situation as children might now need to take multiple city busses or pay for a cab ride in order to get to school, which many families do not have the time or t...he resources to make happen. It’s also not realistic for a child to try to switch schools while staying in a transitional shelter, as caregivers might be looking for housing in areas outside of the local school district. The Centre is striving to make this often turbulent transition easier by providing access to educational programming right on-site. To learn how you can help us bring education to children in shelter visit our 30:30 Campaign website: https://3030.welcomecentreshelter.com/

Plan monthly menu Adhere to all Canada Food Guidelines in menu planning Monitor weekly, monthly and annual Centre food budget(s) for food items and associated costs Prepare all Centre lunch and dinner meals Monday-Friday per the created menus, and leave-ahead meals for Saturday/Sunday lunch and dinner Ensure adequate daily breakfast and snack items are available for client use... Ensure cleanliness of all kitchen area and equipment daily and per monthly kitchen cleaning schedule Ensure all fridge and freezer items are properly stored, labelled, used and disposed of according to Safe Food Handling Guidelines Ensure weekly menu is posted for staff and clients by Friday of each week for the following week Complete shelter food inventory weekly Purchase or over-see purchasing of all food-related items Document all menu items, recipes, and posted menus and keep records of all posted menu items Successful candidates will have: Current Safe Food Handler Certificate Minimum 2 years job-related experience in food preparation, service, meal planning Valid driver’s license and access to reliable vehicle Culinary apprenticeship or training preferred Use of own vehicle for food shopping is required; proof of insurance required Strong ability to plan, organize, and execute meal planning in according to guidelines, needs, and budget Minimum of a diploma in food services/hospitality, or a combination of experience/training/education deemed relevant to the job duties Applicants should email a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to [email protected], att: Dawn Toth, Shelter Manager by October 22nd, 2020. While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

Join us at Modo Yoga Windsor & Tecumseh every Thursday and Friday night for $10 Karma classes! All proceeds will be donated directly to the Welcome Centre. COVID safety practices are in place at both studio locations and you can learn more about these by visiting their Facebook page. Come out and move your bodies for a great cause! We hope to see you there

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us throughout the month of September in our 30:30 fundraising efforts to bring Patsy’s Place programming to life. Our initial goal was to introduce the first phase of Patsy’s Place programming this October, but due to some unfortunate permitting delays, we will be pushing our launch date into November. This gives us 1 MORE MONTH to hit our target goal of raising $30,000 in order to sustain this space for 1 year! As of October 6...th, you’ve helped us raise over $18,000!! WE'RE MORE THAN HALFWAY THERE! THANK YOU! This leaves us with $12,000 still needed in order to make our goal a reality. We have one more month to reach this goal - will you help us get there? You can make a difference by sharing our posts on your social media feeds and by talking to the people around you about the campaign... we need your help to get the word out! Don't forget, the top fundraiser will win a $500 prize pack filled with gifts from around Windsor-Essex! Visit https://3030.welcomecentreshelter.com/ to stay updated on our progress throughout the next month.

There is currently NO shelter in Windsor-Essex that is specifically dedicated to serving families with children. We aim to bridge that gap. The Welcome Centre is working to support the long-term success of over 400 children and their families in shelter each year. Patsy’s Place will be a safe space for these children to access social supports, educational programming, and playtime. We have the space, and now we need the help of our community to keep it running year-round. Join us in making our goal of $30,000 for Patsy’s Place a reality. Visit 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com today!

How to: Do Better at Getting New Pronouns Right. Thank you W.E. Trans Support for this awesome post!

Are you celebrating Orange Shirt Day today? Today we recognize the injustice and cultural genocide that residential schools inflicted on Indigenous communities. We honour those who survived and did not survive. To this day, indigenous communities still face the traumatic effects of the residential school system along with historically rooted oppression, racism, and discrimination. On September 29th, 2020, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced an important step in imple...menting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action by introducing Bill C-5. Once this bill is formally approved, it would establish the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday to be observed on September 30 (commonly known as Orange Shirt Day). A similar bill was proposed last spring but was never passed. This is but one of the 94 Call's to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to the Canadian Government. #OrangeShirtDay2020 #billc5 #everychildmatters #NationalDayForTruthAndReconciliation #NoMoreStolenSisters #IndigenousLivesMatter #HomelessShelter #YQG

At the Centre, we acknowledge how important it is to use and respect preferred pronouns. We practice this daily - and ask our clients to do the same. Happy International Pronouns Day!

September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is coming to an end. This month is important to recognize as suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in Canada and suicide prevention is an ongoing effort. Here at the Welcome Centre, we see the effects of depression and suicidal ideation year-round. Homelessness can result from an array of traumatic experiences, and also be a traumatic experience in of itself. Many clients that we support come through our doors with new and/o...r increased issues with their mental health, commonly depression and suicidal ideation. In homeless youth, this is especially prevalent, with nearly 1 in 3 experiencing depression. Indigenous peoples in Canada are also overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness, and experience suicide at a rate 3X higher than the general population. Depression and suicide are major issues that we see as an emergency shelter provider, and we do the best we can to provide support through additional training of our staff. Many of our staff are trained in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, as well as in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills. Homelessness is a difficult circumstance to experience, and we strive to support our clients through that difficult time to the best of our ability. You are not alone, and we are here to support you. For more information on homelessness and suicide, check out https://homelesshub.ca/. If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide, here are some resources to support you: 24/7 Community Crisis Hotline (Local): 519-973-4435 Canada Crisis Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-833-456-4566 Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 For more support and information on suicide prevention, be sure to follow Canadian Mental Health Association - Windsor, an excellent, local, ongoing mental health resource and service provider. In partnership with Windsor-Essex County HEALTH UNIT, they’ve done an amazing job of spearheading the local Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Campaign. #SuicidePrevention2020 #youarenotalone

Thank you to the amazing team at Shoppers Drug Mart Amherstburg for your support over the last month. We stopped by today to chat with the staff and thank them for their incredible dedication to the annual Growing Women's Health initiative. So far, Shoppers Amherstburg has raised over $2,000 for the Centre! Thank you so much to the community of Amherstburg for your support!

Children deserve more, and we want to give them more. We serve over 400 children and their families each year are currently running our play programming out of a parking lot, which is weather dependent. We have purchased and outfitted a portable classroom and we hope that with your help, we will have enough funds to staff and maintain it for 1 year. Visit 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com to learn how you can help bring playtime year-round to children in shelter!

Through the month of October, 100% of donations from your local Shoppers Drug Mart will go towards The Welcome Centre! The donation tree is a visual representation of how your contribution is making a difference to grow awareness around women's health. With each dollar raised, the tree gains a new leaf! Visit your local Shoppers Drug Mart to make a positive impact in the lives of women who need it most. You can also donate online: https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca//love/growingwomenshealth

QUESTION: How will Patsy’s Place help parents in shelter? ANSWER: Gosh, I’m not a parent but I’ve seen the frustration in teenager’s eyes and parent’s eyes when they have to go on Edsby or whichever educational platform and help their kids navigate what they have to learn for that day. This space could be a nice safe haven for kids and a bit of respite for caregivers, to allow volunteers and staff to help their kids keep up with their schoolwork while caregivers/parents look... for housing. Erica Bassakos, former Child and Youth Program Coordinator I think it’s important that parents get that opportunity to have a little bit of a break; that children are able to run, and play, and do things, as well as their parents being able to stop and take a breath, and/or be given that opportunity to focus - really focus - on trying to find affordable housing. Kelly Boyle, Family Housing Support Worker If you'd like to learn more about Patsy's Place and how the Centre is making strides to support caregivers and children in shelter visit 3030.WelcomeCentreShelter.com!