Help Us Make Emergency Shelter Repairs
Your Support Offers a Lifeline for Victims of Violence —
and for Ernestine’s
Help us recover from severe flooding and mould, so we can continue to be a safe haven for women, children, and gender-diverse individuals.
For more than 40 years, Ernestine’s has been a place of safety, healing, and hope for adults, and their children, who are fleeing violence. Through our wraparound support — including emergency shelter, crisis counselling, housing and legal advocacy, child and youth programs, and long-term community-based support — individuals and families are empowered to rebuild their lives.
But now Ernestine’s is facing an emergency of its own. And we urgently need your help.
A flood at Ernestine’s in September revealed a much bigger problem: Water has been seeping into the walls for an extended period of time, causing widespread mould damage.
Most of the repair costs will not be covered by insurance, and efforts to secure emergency funding from all levels of government have been unsuccessful thus far.
Will you help us raise $250,000 to cover the cost of mould remediation and infrastructure repairs?
Every wall we open reveals more damage, and with it, a greater risk of losing the very spaces that help families heal. If we cannot complete these repairs, we may be forced to close — and survivors in crisis will have nowhere to go.
— Interim Executive Director Laverne Blake
Child & Youth Program Room and Homework & Computer Lab Closed
Last year, 44 children and youth stayed at Ernestine’s, and our Child and Youth Program helped them feel safe and supported. Across 1,229 individual interactions and counselling sessions, as well as 53 group sessions, this program helped these kids heal.
Your support will allow us to reopen these vital spaces.
Counselling Rooms and Outreach Spaces at Risk of Closure
Around-the-clock crisis counselling is the cornerstone of our transformative Life Without Violence Program, but private counselling rooms are crucial for providing this essential support for adults and children alike.
Similarly, our Outreach Program — which supports 650 individuals each year — simply can’t operate without a space to connect one-on-one with survivors and to provide vital services like housing and legal support.
Will you help us fund repairs so we can keep our doors open and continue to be there for folks leaving violence behind for good?
For more information, or media inquiries, please contact:
engagement@ernestines.ca or 416-743-1733 EXT. 2010
Want to see the impact we make? Check out our latest Annual Report
