Real Life Stories

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Jessie (3rd place winner)

About Jessie Hi! My name is Jessie M. I am 25 years old. I am an Indigenous Inuit originally from Nain Labrador. Let me tell you about my piece. It’s very meaningful to me. I was on a plane one day, an unexpected image came through my mind so I started to draw as the…

National Volunteer Week: Sali

As she was preparing for her first volunteer session at Bathurst-Lake Shore shelter, Sali was nervous. Although she had nearly completed a Masters in Counselling degree with Yorkville University, and had experience as a crisis counselor, a health coach, and had answered phones on a crisis line, Sali still worried about how Homes First residents…

National Volunteer Week: Tracy

Life can be stressful for just about everyone. But living in a shelter, where there’s always a flow of new people, where you may not feel comfortable leaving your belongings unattended, where sleep may elude you for days at a time, stress can often reach scary, even dangerous levels. Coming from a high-stress career, Tracy…

National Volunteer Week: Farah and Jonathan

Sharing your thoughts and feelings, even it’s just by getting them down on paper, can be a scary feeling. However Farah and Jonathan, two volunteers who lead writing programs at Homes First’s Kennedy and St. Clair shelters, find that the open communication fostered by their sessions has helped residents to support and learn about one…

National Volunteer Week: Rebecca

Programs involving food, even just light refreshments, are always popular with Homes First residents. So it’s no surprise that Rebecca’s cooking classes, held biweekly at two of our supportive housing locations, were the most popular programs of 2019. Rebecca, a registered dietitian, started by helping in the kitchen at Savards women’s shelter before starting a…

National Volunteer Week: Arnold, Teresa, and North Toronto Chinese Baptist Church

Arriving as immigrants from Hong Kong almost 30 years ago, Arnold and Teresa Wong know a thing or two about navigating a new and foreign culture. Their place of worship, North Toronto Chinese Baptist Church, has proven to be a cornerstone for community cohesion and shared purpose, and it was Arnold and Teresa’s pastor, Kwan…

Real Life Stories: Nimeh

A desire for freedom is what brought Nimeh to Canada from Jordan. In her words, “women in her country don’t have the freedom to love, marry or be a part of society.” An Arabic language teacher with a master’s degree, Nimeh, 60, found life in her country difficult. Her status as an educated and employed…

Real Life Stories: Angel

Angel knew from a child she was different, and others saw it too, but they couldn’t figure out what was “wrong” with her, she says. She was assigned male at birth, but that didn’t feel right to her. Growing up trans in a Roma Gypsy community was also difficult; there was no support for Angel when…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: 3rd place winners

Ivan from Strachan House                         Kate from Strachan House               Sara from Strachan House

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Geoff (2nd place winner)

Nominated every year since the beginning of the Wanda’s Arts Awards in 2015, Geoff describes his current art state as having “six fingers in six different pies.” Currently Geoff is working on multiple art pieces that make up three different series: a collection of self-portraits inspired by his interest in subatomic physics; a sequence of…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Dey (2nd place winner)

It has been over 40 years since Dey first began her pottery. A wheel sits in the middle of her apartment, surrounded by various handmade cups, bowls and plates. While Dey still works on her wheel regularly and visits the pottery studio to create ceramics, it’s her drawing and painting that has changed the most….

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Tesfa (2nd place winner)

Growing up in Jamaica, Tesfa remembers painting on the walls in their home. Worried about what the landlord would say, his mother handed him soapy water and rags, and he would scrub the walls clean again only to paint them over again a few days later. “I couldn’t bear to see the walls too clean…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Valentina (2nd place winner)

When outreach workers found Valentina living in a tent in a North York park, she was surrounded by $7,000 worth of leather scrolls, each of them covered in handwritten Bible verses. She describes herself as “awakening, recovering on the other side.” For her, creating those scrolls is what made her healthy again. “The process of…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Tony (1st place winner)

A Homes First resident for nearly 10 years and a previous winner of Wanda’s Arts Awards, Tony is working on creating unique paintings that are more three-dimensional and immersive. “I’m persistent at it and I’m thinking that I learned something skill-wise in the last couple years.” Despite his colourful and sophisticated paintings, Tony hasn’t been…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: James (1st place winner)

James always dreamed of being an artist. His preferred mediums are drawing and painting, though he does do sculpture work occasionally. He attended university in Uganda, majoring in photography, painting and product design, but was unable to finish when his family couldn’t afford his tuition anymore. After that, James tried to leave his artistic talents…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Clarissa (1st place winner)

Growing up, Clarissa would always watch her mother sew. She would make clothes for her and her dolls, and when they had a wedding to attend, Clarissa would visit the store with her mother and pick out the fabric for her new dress. By six, Clarissa was able to hand stitch things, though it still…

Wanda’s Arts Awards 2019: Erika (1st place winner)

A year has passed since Erika’s last nomination, and for her, “it was a really great year.” Erika received her first Wanda’s Arts Award nomination last year. A single mother of two, she came to Canada five years ago, and over the past few years, has been actively participating in art shows. While her traditional…

Real Life Stories: Colin

Colin moved into Jarvis House over five years ago, and though it’s been a positive experience, his journey hasn’t been easy. After years of battling homelessness, securing housing has given Colin the opportunity to unleash his artistic ability. Now, through poetry and photography, Colin is learning to heal. Born in London England, Colin moved to…

National Volunteer Week: Mel & Chewy

Melanie found Therapeutic Paws of Canada, an organization of volunteers and their pets that provide therapeutic supports, after spending some time as a patient in a hospital. Melanie took her dog Chewy to be evaluated and a few months after passing 12 tests, they began volunteering at Homes First’s Kennedy shelter. Now over a year…

National Volunteer Week: Sweekruti

University can be rough. Classes are overwhelming and the stress makes you feel nostalgic for the good old days where the hardest math you learned was fractions. For Sweekruti, volunteering to run an after-school program helps bring her back to simpler times.  “Kids see me as one of them so I get along with them.”…

National Volunteer Week: Catherine

  Homes First has seen a lot of changes over the years, but in the Homes First Human Resources department, the one thing that hasn’t changed is Catherine. Catherine came to Homes First in 2015. She had recently moved into the downtown area from the west end and since retiring in 2012, wanted to give…

National Volunteer Week: Tova

Tova has always found art therapeutic for herself, a way to deal with the stresses of her own life and career as a lawyer. So when an opportunity came to volunteer at her local Homes First community to lead weekly art workshops, she found it a perfect fit. “I really wanted to get involved in…

National Volunteer Week: Andrei

Andrei knows what going to bed hungry feels like – he grew up under the Romanian dictatorship. When he was part of the Occupy Toronto movement, he slept in a tent in St. James Park, and interacted with the homeless individuals who came for the free meals that were handed out. But for him, being…

Real Life Stories: Wendy

Wendy has been a resident of Bellevue, one of the 13 housing sites operated by Homes First, for over 20 years. She is admired and respected by staff, residents and volunteers for her kindness, determination and for her years of service on the Homes First Board of Directors.  Born in Pickering, Wendy’s mother passed away…

Real Life Stories: Sherry aka Wanda

Sherry grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba as Sheryl Anne Noonan. Sherry was always a kind, gentle soul with a great talent for the visual arts. At the age of 26 she had a nervous breakdown and struggled with mental health from that point on. She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. At the time she was…

Real Life Stories: Kyla

Always one with itchy feet, Kyla spent her life moving from city to city across Canada. By the time she was 27, she had lived in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Interested in constitutional law, Kyla decided to pursue a law degree at the University of British Colombia. While at school, she developed severe blood…

Real Life Stories: Edward

After 20 years struggling to survive on the streets, Edward now lives at Jarvis House, a Homes First property serving 24 older men, many battling alcoholism.  “This is the longest I’ve ever stayed anywhere,” Edward says as he shows me around the living room he shares with three other men, all former Seaton House residents like…

Real Life Stories: Tony and Terry

Walk down King St. on Saturday night and you probably hear Terry busking with his blues harp or guitar. At fourteen, Terry picked up a guitar for the first time. Not long after, he also picked up a drug habit. Both have been with him since. While the drugs landed him in jail and on…

Wanda's Arts Awards Winners 2018

We had many great artists nominated this year, but two came out on top! Congratulations to Erika and Allison! Erika’s journey with art began in her early years at school in the Czech Republic, where her adoptive mother enrolled her in painting and drawing classes. She attended a private school with a focus on art,…

Volunteer Transforms Storeroom and Himself

For National Volunteer Appreciation Week 2018 we shared part of Andreas’s story with you. Now we’d like to share his extraordinary journey with you in more detail. His story, like so many other Homes First residents, is one of bad luck and incredible resilience.  Andreas began helping shelter staff with deliveries while still in residence….

From Resident To Volunteer: Andreas

It was through bad luck that Andreas found himself homeless. He was happy in his home with two dogs when the ceiling caved in because of mold. Health problems followed and soon, he was forced to leave his place. Luckily, he found Homes First’s St. Clair shelter. Due to the time it took for Andreas…

The Healing Power of Art

  Our creative endeavours connect us to a drive as old as the human spirit, but we also bring to our arts and crafts certain motives which belong to us as individuals. For Chester, Homes First resident and two-time Wanda’s Arts Award winner, a love of drawing began with the influence of his young grandson….

Resident Testimonial

    First I must say many thanks for the services that you provided me with when I needed you most. Secondly I must say that you sent an Angel by the name of Anneisha McLean to assist me in my deepest time of sadness. If you ask me she is one of your biggest…

Inspiring and Courageous: Meet Bernadette

Bernadette has lost a lot to addiction, including daily access to the most important part of her life: her son. He lives with her parents in another town. Yet through sheer grit and determination – and your help – Bernadette is getting things back in order.  “My child is a miracle,” she says, tearing up….

Paula's Story

Paula only spent three months on what she calls “the circuit” — spending her days finding warm spots in Toronto, a city she spent most of her life in, and returning to different shelters each night by curfew so she would have a place to sleep. But for her, and many others, mere months can…

Chester – Wanda's Arts Award nominee

Chester’s room is spotless and everything in it clearly has its place, including the many meticulous pencil drawings he’s methodically taped to his walls. Chester picked up a pencil a mere four months ago, inspired by the drawings gifted to him by his two-year-old grandson, his pride and joy. Moved by the free-flow of his…

Off the streets and into his community

For thirty years, James struggled with manic depression and alcoholism. He’d take odd jobs to make ends meet, but when they became scarce he’d lose his housing and hit the hostels. Eventually, James succumbed to battle fatigue and, unable to fight anymore, ended up on the streets. Fast forward to today: James now has a…

Ann's Story: A home to host Christmas dinner

Ann lives alone with just her cat for company. She struggles with her health, a painful past and stigma.  I see Ann a few times a week. We’re in the same building. Her apartment is on the 9th floor. My office is on the 11th. One day last month, while riding the elevator together, Ann mentioned…

A different Christmas for Mildred

Last Christmas, all of Mildred’s dreams came true. She was a few months shy of graduation from George Brown College, had a great apartment in Toronto, was dating the man of her dreams and, to top it off, he was traveling with her to the Dominican Republic to meet her entire family. Mildred celebrated last…

Wendy remembers…

“They were true heroes,” long-time Homes First resident Wendy reflected. This Remembrance Day, Wendy takes time to pay tribute to her grandfather and great uncle. They both served in World War II, a point of great pride in her family. Her grandpa was in the 48th Highlanders of Canada regiment and stationed in London, England….

Martha's Story

“Homes First helped me get back to a normal healthy life. When I started living here, I started to be happy. I can’t go back…” – Martha, a resident at Shuter In the warmer weather you’ll find Martha with her hands in the dirt.  She was first to join the rooftop garden program last summer…

Homes First partnership effective in ending chronic homelessness

After 20 years struggling to survive on the streets, Edward now lives at Jarvis House, a Homes First property serving 24 older men, many battling alcohol abuse. “This is the longest I’ve ever stayed anywhere,” Edward says as he shows me around the living room he shares with three other men, all former Seaton House residents…

A mug in his hand, a song on his lips, street balladeer offers his story

Billyven Dandin lives at Strachan House. He was profiled in The Toronto Star on June 21, 2013.   If you live downtown, you’ve probably heard the musical stylings of Billyven Dandin. He’s the guy on the sidewalk, shaking a hardware store chain inside a plastic mug, singing a hypnotic melody of his own composition, squatting…