ESG United Church is accepting monetary donations for our Advent Gifts campaign in support of four agencies that provide shelter, support, security and food. Read about their work below. Donate here.
FRED VICTOR WOMEN’S SHELTERS
A rapid re-housing program for women who have been homeless for less than a year, this program provides support to find housing, employment and establishing independent lives. Fred Victor was selected by the City of Toronto to operate a 37-bed Women’s Transition to Housing Program for homeless women, which is connected to CAMH and the Sherbourne Health Centre. Mary Sheffield House, named after its founder, is a transitional shelter, serving women over 55 who are vulnerable due to complex physical, mental health, developmental and/or substance abuse issues. Here staff assist women to find housing and to put appropriate supports in place so that they do not end up back on the street.
WOODGREEN RED DOOR FAMILY SHELTER
For the past 30 years the Red Door Family Shelter has been providing safe emergency housing and support services to women escaping domestic violence, to refugees and to families experiencing a housing crisis in the GTA. Initially, the Red Door was opened by dedicated volunteers in the basement of Woodgreen United Church. Today it has grown to be one of the largest family shelters in the city, providing shelter and support to over 500 families every year with 156 beds in two locations. Services are designed to meet the needs of families in crisis including: shelter and basic necessities, healing and strengthening and transitional support and outreach tools to achieve long-term objectives.
Read more about Woodgreen Red Door.
TORONTO URBAN NATIVE MINISTRY
The Toronto Urban Native Ministry (TUNM) is unique in Ontario. Working out of the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto and in the community, TUNM supports both Traditional Indigenous Spiritualities and world-views as well as Christian Spiritual practices, demonstrating that the two can walk in harmony. TUNM reaches out to indigenous people on the street, in hospitals, in jails, shelters and hostels providing counselling and spiritual care.
TUNM has been on the front lines since the onset of Covid-19. They have been actively supporting the homeless population of Toronto with medical assistance and counsel, warm clothing, meals and personal care items. Our support for TUNM will go towards their Christmas Feast and the purchase of personal supplies for the people that will attend this celebration.
ST. LUKE’S OUT OF THE COLD MEAL PROGRAM
The Out of the Cold Meal Program at St. Luke’s was created as a response to the Pandemic. St. Luke’s started serving their first meals on December 13’th, 2020. To date they have served over 16,300 meals. St. Luke’s partnered with the Beth Shalom/BethTzedec and Holy Blossom OOTC. ESG donated our OOTC funds from 2020 to St. Luke’s. The program was scheduled to close at the end of April 2021, as all OOTC programs usually do. However, they were serving 600 meals a week at that point and felt that due to the ongoing impact of the Pandemic, they could not close their doors.
We are all aware that Food Insecurity is escalating along with the numbers of displaced people in our communities. St. Luke’s serves these people: those experiencing homelessness, those in dire need of a meal rent vs food, those on fixed incomes (ODSP, OW and OAP) and those financially impacted by the Pandemic.
The OOTC programs in Toronto have been put on hold again this winter but St. Luke’s will continue to provide the much needed comfort and support for the folks that have come to rely on their presence.
ESG Outreach, through our Advent Gifts would like to be able to help St. Luke’s fulfill their mandate to continue providing meals and support to those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in our city.
Please select ESG Outreach Advent Gift in the fund dropdown menu.
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