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Giving Back: Longtime Resident Celebrates 10 Years on our Board of Directors
Twenty-five years ago, Alexis was homeless and struggling with substance use – until she found permanent housing with Homes First. To give back to our organization, Alexis decided to volunteer with us. Last month, she celebrated her 10th and final year as a resident member of our Board of Directors. Here is her story. …
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2021: Murilo
A graduate from Seneca’s social service worker program, Murilo already knew what volunteering in a shelter would be like. While co-facilitating a group for men who had been involved with the justice system, he felt he wanted to use his skills in other settings as well. Since he already knew the system, Murilo thought a…
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2021: Adam
For Master’s student Adam, volunteering to offer counselling support to those at Homes First shelters wasn’t just way to give back, but also learn more about something very unknown to him; Toronto’s shelter system. Though unsure of what he might see or experience at the start, being part of the shelter system, even in volunteer…
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2021: Nicole
Nicole believes in giving back to her community. An editor by profession and a mother of young children, she was raised to be a community advocate, and find gaps where community members might step in and help out. Even when living oversees she found ways to volunteer, and that volunteering in her adopted communities helped…
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2021: Sujena
Its hard to enjoy Mondays but for volunteer yoga instructor Sujena, Mondays were one of her best days. Joining Homes First in January 2020, Sujena led a yoga class at our Kennedy women’s shelter, guiding residents through an hour program focused on wellbeing. No matter how bad her day had been, the smiles and gratitude…
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2021: Marina
Marina never imagined that she would be volunteering at a Toronto shelter while living in Brazil. She had visited Toronto briefly a few years ago, so when the pandemic hit and she wanted to start volunteering, she began looking online to see how she could get involved with supporting a shelter in Toronto. Thanks to…
Read MoreEarth Day Campaign
Are looking to reuse, reduce and recycle for Earth Day? Consider donating your gently used reusable water bottles to Homes First! As the weather gets warmer, many residents will be out and about. By donating your reusable bottles you’ll be helping residents stay hydrated, and keeping items out of landfills. You can also include an encouraging…
Read MoreSupport by donating PPE
As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives, there is a greater risk of exposure to the city’s homeless population. The dedicated front-line staff of Homes First are dealing with difficult circumstances as they continue to provide services and care for people in shelters. Homes First is seeking donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Yaya
Yaya came from a background where education wasn’t guaranteed. Despite this she made it to university to pursue midwifery, however she later felt it wasn’t a right fit. Completing her undergrad with a double major in theatre arts and women’s studies, Yaya began working at a bank in anti-money laundering. While working, she felt something…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Tamara
Growing up in subsidized housing in Toronto, and raised by a single mother of 3 who worked two minimum wage jobs to support the family, Tamara knew that education would be a key in doing things differently. After working various jobs throughout the years, Tamara set her sights on the social service sector, knowing she…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Niko
Niko is only one course away from completing the Social Service Worker program at Centennial College. When he does finish, it will be a milestone for his family. “I’m the first in my family to ever to go to college and I will be the first to ever graduate,” he says, noting that he hopes…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: L.O
L.O immigrated from Nigeria with a degree in English, but found it difficult to find the kind of jobs that she had in mind for her education. She began working in the health sector and realizing this was a career she wanted to pursue, applied for a master’s program so she could learn to offer…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Ike
When Ike came to Canada he saw the chance for a fresh start and to finally go to school for a sector he’s been working in for many years; International Development. Working in Nigeria for many NGOs, both national and international, gave Ike a lot of experience in working to support people. With that experience,…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Danekia
Danekia had always known she wanted to help people. When she began high school, she knew that eventually, her path and courses would lead to a career in social services. After graduating, she attended Sheridan college for a Social Service Worker Diploma and currently, is a student at the University of Windsor for a Bachelor…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Benyam
Benyam came to Canada from Ethiopia in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in biology, and a Master’s in food engineering. But despite his great educational achievements, he struggled to find a professional job in his field, as many wanted some Canadian experience. Working in a factory for some time, Benyam knew when it closed that…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Anogini
For scholarship recipient Anogini, this opportunity not only eases her burden in paying for full-time school, but also gives her the push to keep learning and growing in her skills. After starting school for a nursing career, Anogini completed a year before realizing she wanted to shift her focus to supporting seniors and those experiencing…
Read MoreHFS Access to Education Scholarship Recipient 2020: Ana
For Ana, education has been the key to getting the skills she needed to help people in her community. At only 18, Ana came to Toronto at as a refugee in 1984, fleeing El Salvador after her mother disappeared in 1982, the work of the paramilitary during the civil war. Ana attended the University of…
Read MoreEmergency Shelter and Homelessness Service Worker Appreciation Week: Karlene
After an eight hour shift, many people would want to get home, unwind, and forget about their work day. Karlene, a front-line staff at the Willowdale Welcome Centre, was heading home after 11 p.m. on a stormy night earlier this week when she noticed an older woman sitting hunched over on the bench in the…
Read MoreEmergency Shelter and Homelessness Service Worker Appreciation Week: Melody
Melody was driving home from an overnight shift on Monday when she noticed a woman, who was a frequent resident at Kennedy, on the street a few blocks away from the shelter. Melody pulled into a gas station and as she got out and walked over to the resident, saw she was in bad shape….
Read MoreEmergency Shelter and Homelessness Service Worker Appreciation Week: Freshtah and Kristen
When Freshtah heard that Willowdale resident Edwin was leaving, she had mixed feelings. They had built a rapport and she enjoyed spending time getting to know him so she was sad to see him go, but happy that after all his hard work, he had found housing and was ready to start his life in…
Read MoreEmergency Shelter and Homelessness Service Worker Appreciation Week: Olu’s Story
Olufemi, who also goes by Olu, began his career at Homes First in the summer of 2019. He had heard of Homes First through friends that worked with the organization, and decided to apply and see how it went. Olu began on the Co-ed floor at Bathurst-Lake Shore shelter as a Community Shelter Worker. “My…
Read MoreNational Addictions Awareness Week: Sherri’s Story
Just over a year ago, Sherri was celebrating 100 days of sobriety. She was overjoyed that she had hit the three-digit mark. An addict for 17 years, Sherri believes that without the support of Homes First she would still be using or dead. “This is the cleanest I’ve been in 10 years … I got…
Read MoreNational Addictions Awareness Week: Harm Reduction at Homes First
Nicola is the Substance Use & Harm Reduction Support Worker at Homes First. Harm reduction can be described as the strategies, ideas and approach to reduce the harm of substance use and unprotected sexual activity. Nicola manages the supply of harm reduction equipment to Homes First sites, which is provided by Toronto Public Health to…
Read MoreNational Addictions Awareness Week: J’s Story
Before coming to Homes First, J* struggled with alcohol use. She had a difficult and stressful relationship with the father of her children and worked full time to support her family. For a year, J used alcohol as a coping method for her struggles. She drank heavily and it began to impact her work. When…
Read MoreRequest for Proposals: Strategic Planning
The Homes First Board of Directors and strategic plan working group are requesting a facilitator with strategic planning subject matter expertise to support our efforts in planning and executing a strategic planning event, tentatively expected to take place in early 2021. Due to COVID-19, we intend to hold this event virtually. Homes First is requesting…
Read MoreCOVID-19 and Food: How the pandemic affects food security
September was Hunger Action Month, a month-long recognition of the struggles some people face with hunger and food insecurity. As hunger awareness grows and food and meal programs continue to expand, Toronto has seen a rising percentage in food bank visits and people seeking food assistance. Many people rely on food assistance or have recently…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Avonelle (1st place winner)
About Avonelle Avonelle has been a long time resident of Homes First, and has been nominated for the Wanda’s Arts Awards multiple times in the past. A potter, the closure of the pottery studio has forced Avonelle to switch mediums to painting. She is also an avid gardener and takes pride in caring for and…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Heather (2nd place winner)
What Arts Means to Me by Heather Art takes imagination, creativity, openness and awareness of the world around you. It can irrevocably change your life, affect absolutely everything that you think and do. Visual, auditory, textural, performance The best break steadfast rules, demonstrate non-conformance. Vivid expressions of great beauty, ugliness, worldly concerns,…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Geoff (2nd place winner)
About Geoff Art is in my blood. My mother attended OCA (now OCAD University) in the 50s. My one sister a visual architect and cellist. My father was a civil engineer. I am a musician. I play the drums. But after highschool in 1975, I made the key decision to go to OCA. Now at…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Dey (3rd place winner)
About Dey Dey has been a potter and painter for 15 years. She is a graduate of George Brown college and has lived at Homes First’s Meegwetch place for many years. Dey continues to work on her art by taking classes where possible, and has taught at drop-ins and shelters in the city. She has…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Erika (1st place winner)
About Erika Erika is a more recent resident of Homes First and has been nominated and won the Wanda’s Arts Awards two years in a row. She came to Canada over 5 years ago and has been actively participating in Toronto’s art scene to promote her work and learn other mediums. She also helps support…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Bo (1st place winner)
About Bo I am a martial artist and art has always been in my life. I’ve been involved with art since I was a child. I believe it should be in everyone’s life even if it is just scribbling. When I was young I was always into colouring, later I got into drawing as I…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Annis (3rd place winner)
Value with Pride by Annis Life is not about what you are; it is about who you are. It is how you live your life, not what you do in life, your work or where you work. Thinking of your position in life is more important than people’s life. You may be a king, powerful…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2020: Victoria (3rd place winner)
About Victoria My name is Victoria and I am 46 years old. I do rug hooking. I learned rug hooking last year by myself and have done 6 projects. I started needlepoint when I was a teenager. I buy supplies at Michael’s craft store. Sometimes my dad orders them online and my mom picks them…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreHomes First’s Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Letter
Click the link below to read a letter from the Homes First Board of Directors on Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression. HFS Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Letter
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreHomes First’s Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Update: At all of its shelters Homes First is implementing a screening tool that the City of Toronto developed in conjunction with Toronto Public Health for persons that may be exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. The City is opening a new program that will allow those being tested or told to self-isolate to stay out of…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreWanda’s Arts Awards 2019: 3rd place winners
Ivan from Strachan House Kate from Strachan House Sara from Strachan House
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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….
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreWanda’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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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.”…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreNational 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreReal 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…
Read MoreWanda'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,…
Read MoreHomes First Charity Intelligence Rating
Homes First recently updated its profile with Charity Intelligence Canada, a charity that conducts independent research on other charities to help donors make informed decisions and have the most significant impact. Charity Intelligence analyses charities based on management and operations, financial transparency, and the social impact of the charities programs. Charity Intelligence Canada assesses both…
Read MoreBecause We Care: Scarborough Toyota Raises $25,000
Scarborough Toyota actively engages their community through philanthropy. In 2018, the Scarbrough Toyota ‘Because We Care’ campaign raised $25,000 for Homes First Foundation. The Because We Care Campaign is a community partnership between charities, Scarborough Toyota, and customers who can donate $100 to a select list of charities when purchasing a vehicle in July and…
Read MoreVolunteer 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….
Read MoreYour Support Helps Homeless Find A Home
Our mission and philosophy begin with home. Housing the homeless is not just about providing shelter, it’s about providing a supportive community. Building community isn’t cheap, and Homes First Foundation relies on individual donors to help cover the costs of Homes First Society programs. You don’t have to be wealthy to have a practical, everyday…
Read MoreHelping The Homeless Find The Quiet Within
This summer, Homes First has partnered with Street to Trail, a non-profit organization that provides hiking trips and outdoor adventures to people who are homeless. Street to Trail’s mission is to help people rediscover their inner sense of worth using the healing power of the natural world. Homes First residents partake in monthly hiking excursions…
Read MoreFrom 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…
Read MoreLiberty Village Cares: Volunteer Week 2018
Jagger Long and his neighbours wanted to give back, but going through a volunteer application process can get daunting or frustrating for some. So they began running clothing drives and food donations for the homeless and Syrian refugees. While they enjoyed helping however they could, they didn’t expect things to grow as rapidly as they…
Read MoreHomes First News Winter 2018
Check out what’s been happening at Homes First with our Winter 2018 News! Click here to download the newsletter in full!
Read MoreHomes For Dinner 2017
Homes First – Homes for Dinner Guess who’s coming to dinner? That’s exactly what you’ll be wondering when you take part in Homes For Dinner, a night of mystery dinner parties happening all over Toronto on Saturday, November 18; all in support of raising funds aimed at helping Toronto’s homeless. Your ticket gets you…
Read MoreThe 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….
Read MoreResident 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…
Read MoreInspiring 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….
Read MoreGreen with Joy
Pratheesh Nair, Homes First volunteer, shares his experiences of participating in our very first parade together. Read on! March 19, 2017, Sunday, Toronto: The slightly chilly yet reluctantly sunny morning of Sunday, the 19th day of March, brought with it some color (read green, lots of green) and merry bagpipe music. For those who do not…
Read MoreHomes First in the St. Patrick’s Parade
Is that the leprechaun and where’s the pot of gold? Great news! Homes First will be celebrating in Toronto’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and you can join us. The parade is an amazing annual carnival that attracts 500,000 people a year in Toronto. It is widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world…
Read MoreBe the Change: Thank You Flight Centre Travel Group Volunteers!
“Glad to be giving back because it doesn’t always have to be Christmas to do that” said Knoxanne Wignall when she got to roll up her sleeves with her colleagues to feed residents at Strachan House. One of the 16 properties operated by Homes First, providing housing to the homeless. “Isolation is one of the…
Read MoreJoin us! Live Reading "Streets to Script"
Celebrating voices of recovery! Please join us. Share the dreams and hopes of Homes First residents. In these pages are poems and reflective anecdotes written by our residents on topics such as homelessness, mental health, forgiveness, family and recovery. This anthology is the voice of our community. Streets to Script is the culmination of Homes First’s year-long…
Read MoreFebruary 2017 Resident's Newsletter
February Resident’s Newsletter is ready for you! Check out what’s been happening at Homes First – recap from the Mayor’s three hour visit to Kennedy Shelter. Click here to download it in full!
Read MoreDecember 2016 Resident's Newsletter
Holiday Resident’s Newsletter ready for you! Check out what’s been happening at Homes First – recap from the annual Showcase and up & close with resident Paula. Click here to download it in full!
Read MorePaula'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…
Read MoreGive a Holiday Hamper this Season!
Our Holiday Hamper Drive is a time to remember the ones often forgot over the holidays. Our residents rarely have any funds left over after paying rent, and especially during these months, it makes the world of a difference to be able to celebrate in small ways. Ensuring people living on tight budgets have the…
Read MoreOctober Resident's Newsletter
October Resident Newsletter ready for you! Our annual Showcase is coming up and we need your talent! The Diabetes Prevention Program cooking class was a success and do you know how to spot a bed bug? Check it out here…
Read MoreRed Roof Fall Newsletter
Homes First’s Fall newsletter ready for you! The Rotary Club and Tippet Foundation make a precedent setting gift to our Strachan property…art at Shuter with one of our amazing volunteers Ashley and Homes For Dinner is coming up! Check it out here.
Read MoreHomes First Art Fair!
Join us this Friday September 9th at the Regent Park Community Centre (402 Shuter St.) between 2-6pm
Read MoreAugust Resident's Newsletter
Check out the latest Resident’s Newsletter. August’s edition features the Summer Olympics, program updates – Homes First is having an Art Show – and a recipe for Breakfast of Champions. click here to read it now! Please NOTE: There has been a change to a program time – Writing & Storytelling Workshop When: Thursdays 6-7pm Where: 90…
Read MoreMeet our team of fabulous Volunteer Writers
Homes First is bursting with talented volunteers, staff and residents these days! Take a moment to learn more about the little family of Volunteer Writers we have been collecting over the year. They dedicate free time every month to interview, discover and write about the organization and the many notable experiences that take place. Thank…
Read MoreRotary Club and Tippet Foundation make precedent setting gift for Toronto’s Homeless
You can’t do much if you are homeless. Without a permanent address, it’s hard to feel like you are part of a community, find a physician, a job, or count on three meals a day. Established in 1983, Homes First dedicates their efforts to help those with the fewest housing options. Homes First owns and/or…
Read MoreAnnouncement at the Homes First Society and Homes First Foundation AGMs
June 2016, It was announced at the Homes First Foundation AGM that Chantal Desloges, previous Foundation Secretary, will become the new Chair of the Foundation Board. Chantal Desloges was appointed to this position, and it carries a one year term until the annual general meeting of 2016 that will take place in June 2017. Chantal…
Read MoreJuly All Staff Meeting – Service Awards
Yesterday all Homes First Society staff congregated at the Charbonnel Lounge on the U of T campus for the All Staff meeting. Twice yearly, the team meets up to celebrate successes, learn more about one other, and explore topics that will benefit the type of work we do. This years’ focus was on resiliency and…
Read MoreJuly Resident's Newsletter
July’s Residents Newsletter hot off the press – Happy Canada Day, eh! view/dowload here
Read MoreDAS Canada is being recognized as a Great Place to Work®
For Release: April 22, 2016 DAS Canada is being recognized as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Canada. This list and related stories appeared in a special national report on Friday April 22, 2016 in The Globe and Mail. Being a great place to work is one of the core values at DAS…
Read MoreIt's National Volunteer Week
Meet Catherine – our amazing volunteer administrator! “[Volunteering] takes you out of your own sphere and gives you an easy opportunity to learn about other issues and other ways of living and other people and how other people deal with things,” Catherine says. “I always find that I get more than I give.” read…
Read MoreApril Resident Newsletter
Hot off the press! Lots of exciting topics this month; Earth Day, World Health Day, an interview with a newer staff member at Homes First and information on rent-geared-to-income. Download a copy here…
Read MoreNew Blog Post – "Intersections of Stone and Glass"
On a mild March evening, nearly eight-hundred names were featured in chilling procession as an engaged audience held candles in vigil below. Rebecca Houston’s installation, Stone and Glass: We are all transient, part of the ongoing Myseum Intersections festival, highlighted the scourge of homeless deaths in our city and mourned the victims of a tragedy…
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