Mission Services of Hamilton
196 Wentworth Street North L8L 5V7 Hamilton, ON, Canada

The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton has issued a Cold Weather Alert. Willow's Place is open as a warm place for all women-identifying people experiencing homelessness from 9am to 8:30pm, with limited spaces due to physical distancing requirements. Other warming centres across the city are open. Read more https://hamilton.ca/.../cold-alerts-community-response

Today, on Bell Let's Talk Day, we wanted to highlight our Addiction Services programs that provide free and flexible treatment and support options for people aged 19 and over who are looking to change their substance use. We help clients rebuild their lives by offering support with mental health needs, housing needs, employment goals, and strengthening social or family relationships all with the aim of finding a path to recovery with confidence and dignity. We are excited to offer both in-person and virtual group options! If you want to make a referral to Suntrac, or if you would like more information about our programs, please call 905-528-0389. Learn more at www.mission-services.com/programs-and-services

Today is the International Day of Education! Our youth afterschool program, The 196, empowers youth in grades 6-8 to pursue postsecondary education. Through homework help, career exploration, campus tours of Mohawk and McMaster (pre-pandemic), and lots of fun activities, The 196 aims to create positive attitudes about education among kids who may not be thinking about attending post-secondary. The 196 is supported by Hamilton Community Foundation and the Mischa Weisz Foundation. Learn more at www.mission-services.com/programs-and-services

If you are a woman or non-binary person experiencing homelessness or abuse (or think you might be), you can call, text, or web chat with our trained client advocates at Inasmuch House. We offer crisis support, help with safety planning, and community referrals. It is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call 905-529-8600 Text 289-212-6399 Web chat www.mission-services.com/textinasmuch

The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton has issued a Cold Weather Alert. Willow's Place is open as a warm place for all women-identifying people experiencing homelessness from 9am to 8:30pm, with limited spaces due to physical distancing requirements. Other warming centres across the city are open. Read more https://hamilton.ca/.../cold-alerts-community-response

*Please note the EHFC is closed for renovations and is scheduled to reopen in February!* Program highlight! Despite a long hiatus during the pandemic, the East Hamilton Food Centre is open two afternoons a week in Hamilton’s east end. The EHFC provides emergency food and hygiene supplies for low-income individuals and families for 3-4 days. We try to provide as much choice as possible, including halal options.

Don't forget about our vaccine clinic tomorrow, and every Wednesday until further notice!

Our friends at The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton are hosting an online event called 6-Minute Memoirs: Broken Hearts. The 6 Minute Memoir is a virtual event in which twelve writers tell stories from their lives for six minutes each on the topic. Featured speakers include award winning authors Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes), Terry Fallis (Operation Angus) , Christa Couture (How to Lose Everything). Tickets are $10 each and half the funds raised by tickets sales will support Mission Services! See the event link below for more details, or visit their event page on their website: https://uuhamilton.ca/upcoming-events-visitors/

May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day. Having access to appropriate menstrual products and clean accessible washrooms is a huge barrier for people experiencing homelessness and poverty, especially during the pandemic. Visit https://menstrualhygieneday.org to learn more, and make sure to follow Period Pop-Ups!

Today we began transplanting flowers and plants in our new memorial garden outside of Willow's Place. This garden will be a space to remember and honour the women of the Willow's community who have passed away. We will share updates as the garden grows!

Thank you! The Meeting House Ancaster

Throughout the last fourteen months, Willow's Place has had to adapt to the new and urgent needs of the pandemic. This includes creating a new staff position to support housed women! Willow’s Place could not operate without the generous support of its many funders, and we wanted to highlight the groups who have contributed to helping Willow’s Place this year. Read more https://mission-services.com/funding-willows-place/

Join our team! We are hiring for a number of permanent, contract, and Canada Summer Job positions across the organization, including at Willow's Place, Inasmuch House, the emergency overflow shelter, Addiction Services, and our youth program. Visit our website at mission-services.com/careers for more information!

Our team is sharing why they have chosen to be vaccinated against COVID-19! Here is Sue, from Food Services. "I chose to get vaccinated because I feel that this is the only way we will be able to return to a community where we can engage with each other without full personal protection. In order to return to a normal lifestyle, we must all do our part to minimize the transmission of this terrible virus which we have seen first hand how devastating it can be!" To book your COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-booking.

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating Eid-al-Fitr! Wishing you a safe and joyful celebration!

Our team is sharing why they have chosen to be vaccinated against COVID-19! Here is Talice, from Men's Services: "I chose to receive the vaccine to provide safety to my clients, co-workers, family, friends and myself. As I work front-line with many vulnerable, high-risk individuals, it is my responsibility to protect everyone I come into contact with as best as I can, and getting the vaccine is the best way I can achieve this (aside from wearing proper PPE, social distancing... and staying home as much as possible)." To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and where you can get them, visit https://www.canada.ca//coronavirus-disease-c/vaccines.html

Mission Services is currently seeking a volunteer Board member! We are currently seeking, in particular, a person with experience or understanding of the issues of homelessness, Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence or Addictions and Mental Health issues. We encourage applications from individuals from underserved and underrepresented cultural and racial communities, from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA+ communities, people living with disab...ilities, and those with lived experience of homelessness, mental health difficulties and addictions. For more information and to apply, visit https://mission-services.com/were-looking-for-a-new-board-/

Thank you to everyone who purchased purse raffle tickets in support of Willow's Place! We are pleased to share that the purse raffle raised more than $10,000 which will support Willow's Place programming as we continue to serve hundreds of unhoused and marginalized women during the pandemic. Remember to check if you're holding a winning ticket! All winning numbers and information on how to arrange pickup are on our website here: https://mission-services.com/purse-raffle-winning-ticket-n/ A huge thank you to the Designer Purse Raffle Team and our generous sponsors including ZenVibez, Directworx, Impressive Printing, and Team Williams!

Today is Child and Youth Mental Health Day Youth mental health has been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Additionally, youth staying at violence-against-women shelters, including Inasmuch House, are often experiencing and working through complex emotions and traumatic situations. With most activities being virtual and completing online school at the shelter, many youth are experiencing screen fatigue and spending time alone or with their siblings when their caregiver a...ttends appointments and other essential outings. Due to these effects of the pandemic, Child and Youth staff at Inasmuch House are working to help youth learn how to be safe on their own, how to care for one another, and how to be active, even when having to stay home.

For our most recent updates on COVID-19 outbreaks at MSH, please visit our website at mission-services.com. We are currently experiencing an outbreak of 5 cases at our East Hamilton Overflow Shelter.

2020 was a year like no other--and through it all, we received generous support from our Hamilton community. Thanks to you, we were able to continue to provide thousands of our neighbours with food, shelter, and support, provide our staff with PPE, and make positive changes to our programs to serve as many people as safely as possible. Check out some of this year’s highlights! Thank you for making a difference, Hamilton! Happy New Year!

Wishing you a safe, happy, and prosperous Kwanzaa from Mission Services!

Wishing you a safe and Merry Christmas from everyone at Mission Services! The Good Food Centre, Addiction Services, and Administration will be closed tomorrow. Inasmuch House, Willow's Place, and the Men's Shelter will be operating as usual. Inasmuch House 24-Hour Crisis Support... Call: 905-529-8600 Text: 289-212-6399 Web chat: mission-services.com/textinasmuch Willow's Place (196 Wentworth St. N.) Open daily, 9am-8:30pm 905-528-5100 ext 1200 Men's Shelter 905-528-7635

Emergency food assistance. Emergency shelter. Support. Become a donor to help our neighbours through this difficult time. Visit https://mission-services.com/how-you-can-help-2/

Want to make the holidays special for the families staying at Inasmuch House? We want to decorate each room so each family can celebrate the holidays safely this year. We are looking for the following items: 16 smaller Christmas trees (3-4 feet) or slim fitting trees not over 5 feet 16 tree skirts Lights and decorations for the trees... 16 Ginger Bread House Kits 16 Cookie Decorating Kits If you would like to contribute any of the above items, get in touch! 905-528-4211 ext 3102 or [email protected]

A message from Meg Chalmers, our wonderful Donor Relations Coordinator: "Thank you so much to all who participated in our 2020 Sponsor a Family Program! Whether you dropped your items off in person, or made an online donation, we are so grateful for your compassionate support this Holiday Season. Because of you, vulnerable families and individuals will experience a Christmas filled with joy! Thank you!"

A woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner every six days. Disturbing truths like this one need to be addressed. We can’t ignore the voices of our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters. We can’t turn away from our grandmothers, our aunties and our communities. Go to wrappedincourage.ca to see what you can do to show your support. Our client advocates at Inasmuch House are available 24/7 to offer support and assistance to women experiencing abuse.... Call: 905-529-8600 Text: 289-212-6399 Web chat: www.mission-services.com/textinasmuch

Inasmuch House, our shelter for women experiencing abuse & homelessness, opened in 1967. We are one of the oldest women’s shelters in Canada. With nearly 30 staff, Inasmuch provides safe shelter, child and youth support, legal advocacy, and 24/7 crisis support. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and from today until December 10 is #16Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@ MissionHamilton), where we will post about the impacts of gendered violence in our community, our work, and how you can make a difference.

Lest we forget.

Merry Christmas from Willow’s Place! The team is staying both safe and festive, and we were able to have a socially distanced Christmas luncheon and Christmas gifts for women at Willow’s. A different kind of celebration than usual, but a celebration nonetheless! Willow’s Place will remain open over the holidays to support women experiencing homelessness and housing precarity. Their hours are 9am to 8:30pm.

This holiday season, our Good Food Centre will be operating as usual. For families looking to register for our toy program (in partnership with Eva Rothwell Centre), you can register in-person at 196 Wentworth Street during the month of November. More Info: https://mission-services.com/programs-a/christmas-programs/

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Christmas is fast approaching and donations are still flying in. Thank you to everyone who has given in any way, shape, or form during this unique holiday season. Here are a few (really, just a few!) more highlights! You Little Bit of Help Did an online fundraiser raising $550 and dropped off 100 Tim cards to Men’s Services Christ Latvian Lutheran Church Winter Gear Desjardins financial donation... Sherwood Secondary School Holiday Drive Dane dropped off a donation of toys (his family decided to donate toys instead of buying gifts this year) North Point Financial Holiday Drive The Hamilton Shoebox Project donation of gift cards To Gift Lists Holiday Drive Homedepot (Stonechurch) Food, toys, financial donation Susan Pauls-Valerio - Realtor - Food Drive Alaina Shoppers Drug Mart Meadowlands Holiday Drive Stackpole International Toys Our Lady of Assumption Winter Gear Drive and financial donation Biox Canada Food Drive Mulberry Wellness Holiday Drive Diane and Joyce Purses filled with hygiene products Jakeman's Pure Maple Syrup - Boxes of cookies Tracie's Place Restaurant and Karaoke - Collected a $1500+ donation to support our neighbours with meals this holiday season! Reason4Smiles - Gift baskets and toys to Inasmuch House See more

Our client advocates at Inasmuch House are available 24/7 to provide confidential crisis support to women experiencing abuse and homelessness. They provide emotional support, practical advice, and referrals to other services in the community. This support is free and available over phone, text, or web chat. We are here for you. CALL 905.529.8600 TEXT 289.212.6399 WEB CHAT www.mission-services.com/... November is Woman Abuse Prevention month, a time to raise awareness of the gendered violence that occurs year round and to rally support for local women’s shelters. We wear purple scarves to show support for the month-long #WrappedInCourage campaign! To support our work, donate at mission-services.com/donate and make sure to engage with our social media posts!

Trans Day of Remembrance originally began as a candlelit vigil to honour the death of trans woman Rita Hester, who was killed on November 28th, 1998. Now observed each year on November 20th, this day calls us to remember those who have been lost as a result of transphobia worldwide, as well as draw attention to the issue of transphobia and the violence that ensues as a result. Everyone is welcome at Mission Services. To support organizations that do great work specifically supporting trans and gender diverse people in Hamilton, check out Kyle's Place and speqtrum Hamilton (who are providing online peer support and hosting a virtual vigil this evening), SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton, Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, and SACHA (who is launching a counseling group for Trans, Non-Binary, and Two-Spirit folks).

It's #ThankfulThursday! This week we'd like to highlight two amazing contributions from the community! Some folks from Camp Maple Leaf stopped by last week to drop off a cheque for $5,000 to support Mission Services programs. Camp Maple Leaf gives children of Canadian military families and children living with unique life challenges a safe, fun-filled and life changing summer camp experience--due to the pandemic, they decided to disperse some of their funds to other organiza...tions. Emergency room physicians at Hamilton Health Sciences had a fundraiser for Mission Services, with a goal that if they raised $500 that Kris's hair would be dyed "pandemic purple" --they ended up raising $2,000 for our COVID relief fund! Check out Kris's fresh purple 'do! To support our work during the pandemic, donate at www.mission-services.com/donate, or get creative hosting fundraisers in your community over the holidays!

The courage of a woman alone is not enough. It takes the support of an entire community to end violence against women. You can help more women live free from violence by supporting your local shelter. https://mission-services.com/donate-today/ #WrappedInCourage #WomanAbusePreventionMonth