YWCA TORONTO HELPED MEBREAK THE CYCLE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT YWCA Elm Centre’s rental YWCA TORONTO spaces in the Yonge and Dundas neighbourhood offer historic RENTAL IN REVIEW charm with state-of-the-art 2013 technology. Our renters come to Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Apprenticeship Training Apprenticeship Training the Elm Centre to host lectures, program program SPACE meetings, movie screenings, 799 5 concerts, workshops and retreats. women and children key partners at found safety at YWCA Elm Centre YWCAMental Toronto Health shelters Housing Shelters Camp The Jean TweedMental Centre Health Housing Shelters Camp St. Michael’s Hospital Women’s College Hospital Anishnawbe Health Elizabeth Fry Society Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Beatrice House Volunteers/ Beatrice House Volunteers/ Apprenticeship Training Ambassadors Ambassadors $62,950 879 program loaned to women fleeing girls came to the violence by the Girls’ Centre to become Dec 6 program Pre-Dec 6 programEmployment &Pre- futureGirls’ programEmployment leaders & Girls’ program December 6 Fund Apprenticeship TrainingApprenticeship Training program program Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Apprenticeship Training program NANCY’S RECEPTION COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM HALL MEETING ROOM 82 378 Mental Health HousingMental Health Shelters Housing Camp Shelters Camp ÷ Cinema quality DLP projector ÷ Cruiser tables ÷ 60” LCD TV group sessions for women and children ÷ Blu-ray/DVD player ÷ Adjacent to Pizzeria ÷ Blu-ray/DVD player women’s mental health provided housed and supported at ÷ 87” x 139” projection screen Via Mercanti (one of ÷ Audio conferencing unit by Choices for Living Mental Health Housing Shelters BeatriceCamp House Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors ÷ Theatre-quality sound system our preferred caterers) ÷ Internet access ÷ Internet access ÷ Internet access ÷ Capacity: 14 people Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program ÷ Capacity: 180 people ÷ Capacity: 58 people Apprenticeship Training program Beatrice House Volunteers/Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors Ambassadors Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Apprenticeship Training 70% 865 program Beatrice House Volunteers/ of pre-apprenticeship Ambassadors girls grew strong at training graduates secured YWCA’s Camp Tapawingo “Thank you for everything yesterday. “I would like to send a big thank you paid placementsDec 6 program Pre- EmploymentMental & HealthGirls’ program Housing Shelters Camp You were amazing and we appreciate for your work in making today’s event Apprenticeship Training program all the services and items you made such a success! We heard some great available for our meeting. We look feedback and your teams Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp forward to hosting our meetings were more than accommodating in the near future. YWCA Toronto and helpful!” has a great thing going!” Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp 5,647 Beatrice House Volunteers/ 140 - Sydney Clark job seekers built a career The numberAmbassadors of years that - Shewhat Zeru Coordinator, Event Services | SickKids Foundation path with YWCA Toronto’s the people of Toronto have Ontario Trillium Foundation Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Beatrice House Volunteers/ Employment and TrainingApprenticeship Training joined YWCA Toronto’s Ambassadors programsprogram efforts to improve the lives of women and girls Our Rental Space Coordinator is ready Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors to make your next event seamless, impressive and budget-friendly. For more information, contact: [email protected] | 416.961.8101 x370 Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors For 140 years, YWCA Toronto has stood tall in this city working with women to build a new vision for their future. In 1873, we opened our first boarding house for women on Adelaide Street. In 2012, we opened the largest affordable housing centre built in Canada in the last decade. Our programs extend from Etobicoke to Scarborough. We cover OUR VISION an area of 1,800 square kilometres in eight of the thirteen priority neighbourhoods identified by the United Way. YWCA Toronto will be a leader YWCA Toronto has changed and grown as we have responded to the in transforming the lives of marginalized and needs of women and children. What has not changed is our collective disadvantaged women and girls in Toronto. power to help transform lives. Working with community groups, all levels of government and thousands of donors, we remain a tenacious organization committed to improving the lives of women and girls. We do this through direct service with individual women and girls while tackling the systemic issues they bring to our attention. In 2013, YWCA Toronto provided direct support to 11,000 people. OUR MISSION We help women and girls who are vulnerable, those who have experienced violence, those who are surviving urban poverty, those YWCA Toronto accomplishes with barriers to employment and women who need mental health this vision by being a strong advocate for support. women and girls, providing transformative services in the areas of employment support In this year’s annual report, you will meet some of the women who came to YWCA Toronto and discover what can happen when we all and training, housing options and shelters, work together to help women break the cycle. leadership development programs for girls and key supports for women and children who have experienced violence. ROSEMARY MOODIE HEATHER McGREGOR President, Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer 1 2 I CAME TO... I CAME TO... break the cycle break the of violence cycle of fear There are 30,000 homeless trauma counselling, childcare Almost 40% of the women The repayment rate on these people in Canada. It is expertise, and assistance with living in shelters arrive with a loans is an astonishingly high staggering to learn that 7,300 finding employment, permanent ruined financial history, usually 78% given the economic of these people are women and housing and legal aid. because their ex-partners held circumstances of these women. children who have left their the financial control. With a Rarely does a woman miss her homes to escape violence. For families whose lives have poor credit rating and no owned loan repayment because she been marked by violence and assets, they are not eligible for knows the money goes back to YWCA Toronto is one of instability, our shelters are a loans. The December 6 Fund help another woman, just like the city’s key providers of safe haven where women can provides these women with her, who made the challenging emergency shelters for women start planning beyond surviving financial support. decision to leave an abusive and children. Every six days the night and break the cycle home. a woman in Canada is killed of violence. In the past year, our December by her intimate partner. Our 6 Fund gave interest-free loans We’re working hard to raise more shelters are desperately to 98 women so they could funds for this transformative program so we can help more needed. leave violence and fear behind. Supporting 186 children, they women Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program break the cycle Apprenticeship Training program used the money for essential of fear. At Arise, 1st Stop Woodlawn, costs such as moving expenses, and the YWCA Women’s rent, and furniture. Shelter, we provide security. SHELTERS DECEMBER 6 FUND Our shelter teams provide Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Apprenticeship Training program Mental Health Housing Shelters Camp Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors Beatrice House Volunteers/ Ambassadors 3 4 I CAME TO... I CAME TO... break the cycle break the cycle of isolation of minimum wage jobs Mental health services for program Choices for Living Many of the women we support pre-apprenticeship training for women, particularly women offers participant-led face tremendous barriers to women in three skilled trades, who have been traumatized discussions, expressive art obtaining quality employment. general carpentry, electrical, by fear and violence, therapy sessions, and one-on- Among other factors is the and refrigeration and air- are oversubscribed and one support. unequal distribution of minimum conditioning mechanics. underfunded. This lack of wage work. Women, racialized services leaves many women in We continue to find workers and recent immigrants Each program includes isolation at a time when they opportunities to reach out to are 47% more likely to be academic upgrading, safety most need support. immigrant and older women working for a minimum wage. certification and full-time, who are facing mental health hands-on training to receive At YWCA Toronto, women issues so they too, can break So women can build sustainable Level I trade certification. facing challenges to their the cycle of isolation. careers, YWCA Toronto’s mental health and well-being employment programs added Career training helps women share their experiences with new, pre-apprenticeship break the cycle of minimum other women and counsellors in programs in the skilled trades. wage jobs. group settings. These programs help women to Dec 6 program Pre- Employment & Girls’ program Apprenticeship Training secure jobs in traditionally male- Offered at three locations program dominated and well paid fields. across the city, our support PRE- MENTAL HEALTH Partnering with Centennial