Sistering 24 Hour Drop In
962 Bloor Street West M6H 1L6 Toronto, ON, Canada

The sistering family at our last all-staff meeting of 2020! It has been quite the year but we feel so grateful for the unwavering generosity and kindness we received every step of the way. Our community of donors, volunteers, neighbours, partners, and supporters is truly incredible! At our last meeting of 2020 we reflected on the year and shared our hopes for 2021. What are you hoping to see next year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

We received the sweetest handmade cards to share with our participants!Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season, from the Sistering family

THANK YOU!! Sistering has received an incredible amount of support over the last couple of months and we feel so fortunate. Our community has been gathering our much-needed items, ensuring our participants have gifts, masks, warm winter coats, and everyday essentials to make this holiday season extra special. Our amazing Case Support and Drop In teams have been able to distribute personalized gifts to our participants and their families, bringing smiles and some holiday cheer! Special shout out to @womenunitedproject @iamcafe.official @goodtobegoodfoundation @shoeboxproject @one2giveto @hendersonbrewing @horsesatelier @sheenforshe @empowherto and the many MANY others across the city who share the love w us!

We’re hiring! Sistering is looking for a fund development assistant to join our team. Application available at sistering.org/join-our-team/

Jingle Babz & Friends: A Virtual Holiday Spectacular, in support of Sistering With the help of 20+ performers and musicians from across the country, Barbara Johnston (aka Jingle Babz) has planned a complete virtual show this year. Borrowing themes from some favourite holiday specials of the past, from Judy Garland to Pee-wee Herman, Jingle Babz and Friends promises Christmas cards, carols, fireside chats, special guests, and maybe even a visit from Kris Kringle. A portion... of each ticket will go to Sistering Jingle Babz & Friends is sponsored by local businesses @isolation.cocktails & @rubofluv Join Jingle Babz Sunday, December 20th 6pm (EST) for The premiere + Cocktail Party! or View Jingle Babz & Friends anytime from the comfort of your home. Monday, December 21st December 31st Special guests include: Simone Denny @simonedennymusic Masini McDermott @masini_forever Sean Mayes @seanmayesmd Gabi Epstein @gabifayepstein Jeremy Lapalme @jeremylapalme Suzy Wilde @suzywilde Anika Johnson @anikarosej Britta Johnson @brittamcjohnson Rapport @rapport_band The Quarantrio @kelseeyverzotti @coeljumber @georgiabennett11 Eric Andrews @mericmandrews Michael O’Hara @michaeloh6 Mitch Wood @mitchwood_ Bob Johnston Mish Eusebio *****TICKET LINK https://www.sidebizstudio.ca/product/jingle-babz/ ***** #virtualconcert #jinglebabz : @jensquiresphotographer : @jessicapanetta_mua

Sistering is participating in the Coldest Night of the Year national walk-a-thon again this February and we hope you will join us! The event will be entirely virtual, with some additional activities planned to build the momentum together. Register your team soon to be a part of Sistering’s CNOY 2021! cnoy.org/location/torontogladstonebloor #cnoy2021 #SisteringCNOY... (Photos from Feb 2020 event)

Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, marking the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 women at l’Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. Today is about commemorating these women whose lives ended in an act of GBV. As we honour their memory, we also reaffirm our commitment to ending GBV and creating opportunities to support women, Two-Spirit, trans, and non-binary individuals. #strongerthanyouthink The Toronto West Local Immigration Partn...ership (TWLIP) Women Against Violence (WAV) Action Group, of which Sistering is a member, has developed this video to raise public awareness of domestic violence and promote services of support. The Action Group’s mandate is clear: Gender Based Violence is Everyone’s Issue to Address. The WAV Action Group website has several important resources available, including crisis lines and a GBV first response toolkit for frontline workers. https://www.torontowestlip.ca/raising-public-awareness-of-/ https://www.torontowestlip.ca//toolkit-2020-February-25_op https://www.torontowestlip.ca///WAV-Crisis-List-June15.pdf

Can you believe we’re already talking about events for next year? It’s time to start rallying friends and family to participate in Sistering’s Coldest Night of the Year 2021 event. To ensure the safety of all walkers, volunteers, and our Bloordale community, the walk will be virtual this year. We are planning some exciting activities in addition to the walk, so stay tuned for these details! To learn more about this event and to register your team go to cnoy.org/location/tor...ontogladstonebloor #cnoy21 #SisteringCNOY (Photos from Feb 2020 event)

Today is #givingtuesdayca! Join millions around the world in making a global impact by giving back to their local communities. The generosity of our donors enables Sistering to offer practical and emotional resources to women and trans people who experience homelessness or precarious housing, trauma and violence, social isolation, discrimination, substance use or mental health support. CanadaHelps will also be topping up all of today’s donations over $20 with an additional ...$2! The second image shows some of the way we were able to support our participants in the last year thanks to the support of our community. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our participants. https://sistering.org/donate/

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that takes place on December 1st, 2020. Due to the pandemic, our role in combatting isolation, food insecurity, and homelessness is more important than ever. Join us on #givingtuesdayca and help make a difference.

Next week is #givingtuesdayca! Join us in supporting women and trans people across Toronto who experience first hand the impact of marginalization and poverty. Link in bio to donate on Dec 1st for Giving Tuesday

Although Sistering wont be taking to the streets as we have in previous years on National Housing Day of Action, we will be tuning in to online events happening across the city! Check out the National Housing Day - Toronto Day of Action Facebook event to find online events in your community. Join us in advocating for safe, affordable housing in our city and to demand an end to homelessness nationwide. https://www.facebook.com/events/873606479845678/ #nationalhousingday #housingisahumanright

It’s back to school time and we want to give a big thank you to the wonderful women of the Credit Valley Golf & Country Club who have put together over 70 backpacks full of school supplies for the children of our participants to help them feel ready for the start of a new school year!

Today marks the 21st annual Trans Day of Remembrance. We honour the memory of trans, 2 Spirit and non-binary individuals whose lives were lost to violence, transphobia and cissexism. The startling data collected by Transpect Versus Transphobia, TGEU, reveals that prejudice, discrimination, and acts of violence towards the trans community have been increasing worldwide over the last 12 years, with racialized communities and sex workers most disproportionately affected. While ...COVID-19 is impacting us all, this data acts as a testimony to the lives at greatest risk. We must never forget that behind every name and statistic, there stands a life fully lived an individual loved and valued, who we failed to protect. Today, we commemorate the lives of those taken too early; we remember to amplify voices within the community, dedicate ourselves to the continued work, and celebrate the resiliency of trans people. The importance of this day, especially this year, feels immeasurable. At a time where our collective ability to mourn has been disrupted, we seek different and brave new ways to love and care for each other - The 519 Public Statement #TDoR #BTLM #transrightsarehumanrights

Our Interim Executive Director Priyanka Sheth will be joining the Skills for Change's Spotlight Series on September 15th to discuss the pandemic impacts of COVID-19 on women, particularly challenges faced by the BIPOC community. The discussion will cover solutions being put in place to alleviate these challenges as well as additional support being made available to women to counter these obstacles. This webinar is free to attend. You can register at https://skillsforchange.org/spotlight-series/ #pandemicimpacts #BuildBackBetter

It is #transawarenessweek! This week is dedicated to celebrating and honouring trans, non-binary and 2 Sprit communities. It is an opportunity to raise awareness and increase advocacy for the safety, security and wellbeing of all trans individuals. This week leads up to Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20th. We’ve included 2 photos from last year's Trans Celebration Night at Sistering! #transrightsarehumanrights #blacktranslivesmatter

November is #womanabusepreventionmonth. Sistering will be sharing information, resources, and the work of organizations fighting VAW & GBV in Toronto. Today, we are sharing a petition by the @ywcatoronto, urging Premier Doug Ford and Ontario’s leaders to create a provincial Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. In the fall of 2018 Ontario cancelled the Roundtable on Violence Against Women. GBV is on the rise across the country, and COVID-19 has only made this violence w...orse. Join us in signing the YWCA’s petition and the fight to end gender-based violence. Petition: action.ywcatoronto.org/end-violence-against-women

As this summer comes to a close, we want to give a big shoutout to everyone who took part in our Sistering Gardens community initiative! We are so inspired by the hard work and generosity of our community members, who have been busy growing in backyards, rooftop gardens, community plots and more! Your produce donations have helped our kitchen deliver fresh meals to our participants all summer. Thank you!

We’re excited to share the highlights of 2019/2020 in our latest annual report! Check it out at sistering.org/annual-reports Thank you to Aperkoo and illustrator Madison van Rijn for the beautiful design and illustrations

We have been embracing the spooky season at Sistering! Hope you are all having a happy hallowe’en under this rare blue moon.

We’re so inspired by our community members who have been showing up in all sorts of creative ways this summer. Fundraisers play a key role in helping us offer practical and emotional support to our participants. If you have a great idea for an event or campaign that you’d like to host, visit us at sistering.org/fundraise to get started with your event. We’ll send you a pack of digital resources and any other support you need to launch a successful fundraiser!

It is Sistering’s #GratitudeWeek! From all of our staff - thank you! Every single act of kindness and support we receive is so greatly appreciated. Join us in showing gratitude to the individuals and organizations that you think deserve a special shoutout.

Our Annual General Meeting is just around the corner! It will be taking place virtually on Thursday September 10th. You still have time to RSVP - head to sistering.org/agm. We’d love to see you there!

Thank you HeartPress !

Today marks the start of Sistering’s #GratitudeWeek ! To our volunteers, community members, donors, partnering organizations, and supporters: thank you! Your kindness, generosity, and encouragement give us hope in these difficult times. We couldn’t do it without you. We also invite you to join us for #GratitudeWeek through your social media channels and encourage you to share your own gratitude for individuals and organizations that you think deserve a special shoutout.

We’re hiring! We currently have 4 job opportunities posted. Go to our website or Charity Village to learn more about each of these roles and their closing dates. www.sistering.org/join-our-team/

This weekend @heartpress_ published a feature on Sistering! Go to the link in their bio to read their interview with Donna, our fund development coordinator, on the many ways Sistering has been growing and adapting to better support our participants throughout the pandemic. The interview also includes ways to get involved to help us in this work. Thank you @heartpress_ for featuring us as your non-profit highlight!

Two of our amazing peer workers, Sonia and Hanan, serving lunch on this sunny afternoon! We are currently preparing around 145 meals a day and they are served by our peer workers from the front entrance. What an awesome kitchen crew we have!

A message from Priyanka Sheth, our Executive Director, on our newly added beds and the need to address homelessness in the city. #worldhomelessnessday.

Today is #worldhomelessnessday. As temperatures in Toronto have started dropping and our awareness grows about how COVID-19 disproportionately affects those who are experiencing homelessness, we must continue to advocate for housing as a human right. 1. Sourced from Right to Housing, Encampments Rights Review, 2020. ... Read the full report here: https://right2housingto.ca//R2HTO-Encampents-Rights-Review See more

This month the Meal Voucher Food Security Program pilot project was wrapped up. This project, by the Toronto Drop-In Network, created partnerships with local restaurants, prioritizing BIPOC-owned businesses, who provided meals on-demand to support the food security of people experiencing homelessness. TDIN contracted these partners to create a set number of meals, which participants were able access outside of drop-in hours and pay for with a meal voucher. Sistering drop-in ...participants were able to enjoy meals from our local, BIPOC-owned restaurants: Pam's Roti, African Palace, Jerk Brothers and NishDish. We want to thank these restaurants for providing our participants with delicious hot meals over the past few months! We are grateful to the Toronto Drop-In Network for piloting this program and addressing food security, while supporting our local businesses; as well as our kitchen coordinator for organizing Sistering’s role in this. Thank you all! You can read about this program in the recent CTV News article: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/pilot-project-supports-bipoc-own or on the Toronto Drop-In Network website: https://tdin.ca/announcement.php?id=2173

Join our team! We are seeking to hire an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer and a Fund Development Manager. Details for each position can be found on our website (www.sistering.org/join-our-team, link in bio). Help us make a tangible difference in the lives of socially isolated women and trans people in Toronto, who are experiencing homelessness or precarious housing.

We have been hard at work at Sistering preparing for some exciting changes. We will now have beds on the third floor of our 962 Bloor location and will be welcoming participants into this space soon. We look forward to being able to support folks in this way, while continuing to advocate for more safe and affordable housing in the City. We will provide updates on these changes soon! @teefergus helped us add some colour and beauty to our third floor with these amazing murals. Tee is a local multi-dimensional artist and painted a mural in our meal service area back in June. We are so grateful for her talent and support! You can check out more of her work at https://thequantumgarden.bigcartel.com/ Thank you Tee!

Even though we couldn’t host our annual Sistabana barbecue this year, Sistering’s kitchen prepared this amazing meal for our participants - oxtail, rice and peas, jerk chicken, plantains and veggies

August means fresh berries, peaches, pears and plums - the perfect summer ingredients for a galette! Share the sweetness with a Sistering participant by donating your extra fruits and vegetables to our kitchen. All produce donations go towards creating fresh meals for our participants #sisteringgardener Recipe: Yossy Arefi

Thank you to our #sisteringgardener community for helping us create fresh meals daily for our participants! These are just a couple of the ways we incorporate freshly grown kale into our menu

#sisteringgardener tip from Claudia and Erik (& Larry ): It’s important to let some plants go to seed and remain in the garden, like dill and basil, so that they attract pollinators and continue the life of your garden. Check out our Sistering Gardens community initiative and share your garden photos and tips with us!

It’s always wonderful to have opportunities to collaborate and share love with other local organizations. Thank you Inspirations Studio for this beautiful signed handmade plate!

How have you been making the most of your homegrown produce? This week, we’re recommending Yotam Ottolenghi’s Beetroot and Avocado Salad Share your meal with a Sistering participant by donating your extra beets, herbs and other produce to Sistering’s kitchen! #sisteringgardener

Nurture You T.O (IG: @nurtureyouto) is a local initiative supporting Black folks in Toronto by providing holistic wellness kits containing meals and wellness items. This week we received a donation of 60 kits for our Black participants - thank you so much!

We want to give a big thank you to our generous supporter Fabiola for renting a Mr Iceberg Ice Cream Trucks Toronto yesterday afternoon to offer free ice cream to our participants, staff and community member. We also appreciate our neighbour Andy for offering his private parking spot for a few hours to help make this happen. So many happy faces enjoying a cool treat on a hot summer’s day!

Over the next few weeks, Spun Studio will be gathering online weekly for craft and activity sessions. To help our participants stay creative from a distance, our Community Engagement Assistant, Ali, has been busy assembling art supply kits including paint, brushes, origami paper and more!

In just over a month, Sistering Gardens has over 50 volunteers who have donated hundreds of locally grown produce items, including fresh herbs, beets, and so much more. Thank you to our participants and to Wastenot Farms: Compost City for providing seedlings for our community to grow! How is your garden coming along? Share your photos, experiences and gardening tips with us using the hashtag #SisteringGardener

Today, we remember and honour our community members lost to overdose and harmed as a result of the war on drug users. Every one of them is truly missed and loved. The opioid overdose crisis continues to hit our community hard, and the Covid19 pandemic has restricted access to essential, life-saving services. Supporting drug users through peer-run harm reduction services is the way out of this deadly crisis, and we continue to work with our agency partners to do so. Safer use kits, disposal boxes, naloxone kits, and information can be picked up from our drop in daily - stay safe everyone

Our participants want to give a special thank you to MLSE and Second Harvest for their continued weekly delivery of meals for the last two months - thank you!

This morning we unveiled our 962 Bloor mural! Thank you Isabella Vella for this beautiful and powerful piece and Hektor Projects for your support in this project. For this mural, we chose the words of Rosemary Brown, an activist, politician, social worker and a recipient of the Order of Canada: Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it.

On Monday, July 13th, She Does The City in partnership with Touchwood PR and Game Theory Films will be hosting a premiere event for Catch and Release, a new film by Canadian directors Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert. Based on Jane Martin’s 1993 Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, Keely and Du, Catch and Release examines the unsettling dichotomy in society regarding abortion and women’s rights, in an evocative and tense modern-day drama set on a remote island in Northern ...Ontario. There will be a virtual panel discussion on Monday at 7:30pm ET with the filmmakers, along with experts in gender equality and reproductive rights, including Sistering's board member Amanda Bertucci. Following the panel, all attendees will receive an exclusive link to view the film, in advance of its release on July 14th. The event will also be raising funds for Sistering. Learn more and register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8XSQhaMERZe8K60FdOQ-aw See more

We still can not believe the good news - Sistering is the winner of CanadaHelps' 2020 Great Canadian Giving Challenge! This year's grand prize doubled to $20,000 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of CanadaHelps and to provide charities with extra support in the wake of COVID-19. For every $1 donated to a charity in June, a ticket for that charity was placed in a draw for a chance to win the grand prize. On July 1st, a ticket for Sistering was drawn thanks to a donation made... by Andrew: "As a neighbor of ours in Dovercourt, we feel strongly about the importance and criticality of the work they do helping women in need. We felt it particularly important to contribute to a cause such as this during these difficult times and think this contest is such a great reminder that one small act can yield much greater impact through our community. This is what makes this prize extra special to us because we know it could not happen without the generosity and compassion of individuals in the community, city and across the country. Thank you Andrew and all our wonderful supporters, who have given and continue to give what you can from dollars to essential items to well wishes - you have really kept us going through this difficult time!

Wow, thank you so much CanadaHelps!

RSVP at www.sistering.org/agm More details coming soon!

Did you know that Pride actually started as a riot? In June 1969, community members and allies protested the raid of Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York's Gree...nwich Village. This Pride Month, we're reminded to keep fighting for the change we want to see in the world. 2020 has had many ups and downs, and Pride is a great reminder of what we can achieve when a committed group of people decide that everyone deserves basic human rights! However you decide to show your Pride this year, be loud, be fierce, and keep the fires of revolution burning. Shout to these amazing orgs! Pride at Work Canada / Fierté au travail Canada The ArQuives Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) The 519 Sistering 24 Hour Drop In

Our Spun Studio participants continue to keep their hands busy with craft projects. They have been crocheting these colourful bands for our front-line staff. Mask straps can go around these bands rather than around the ears, making it easier to wear masks for longer periods of time.

Starting this Thursday, June 25th, we will be reopening our 962 Bloor Street West location as a respite site with a limited capacity of participants. More details on our website at sistering.org/covid-19-update For any questions, please contact our Community Engagement Associate Annabelle Bernard at [email protected]

Thanks to the continued outpour of community support, we have received hundreds of essential items for our participants. We are so appreciative! We will continue providing updates on our list of needs at www.sistering.org/in-kind-donations

Join our team this summer! Applicants must be under the age of 30 and be legally eligible to work in Canada. Deadline to apply is Monday, June 22nd: https://sistering.org/join-our-team/

Along with brightening up our front space at 962 Bloor (updates coming soon!), we also wanted to add some colour to our indoor space for when we welcome back participants. We want to give a big thank you to the talented Tee Fergus for bringing some colour therapy into the meal service area of our Drop In with this beautiful indoor mural. Thank you as well to TakingITGlobal for valuing the work of young talent by helping us provide an honorarium as well cover material costs for this project through the #RisingYouth grant.

Thank you to the wardrobe department of the Shaw Festival for making 75 PPE gowns for our front-line staff as part of the Sewing For Change initiative! This great initiative, run by Sustainable Connections Toronto, CraftTalk and Creative Reuse Toronto, organizes and facilitates the creation of homemade PPE to distribute them where they’re needed: https://www.sewingforchange.ca/ Thank you for thinking of us!

Thank you Islamic Relief Canada for your generous donation of 100 hijabs and your ongoing support of the Sistering community!

We want to give a special shoutout to the ongoing #One2Give initiative organized by Fern and colleagues. The idea behind #One2Give is every time you purchase an item for yourself, you consider purchasing another to donate. These awesome folks were able to rally their networks and collect hundreds of items to drop off to Sistering today including bottles of sunscreen, bug spray, underwear, bras, incontinence underwear, water bottles and so much more! Thank you to the wonderful #One2Give community for helping us stay stocked this summer and even more for the beautiful wall of artwork with positive messages that we will share with our participants

Just 3 more hours to bid on our Sistering t-shirts signed by #OrphanBlack cast members! Place your bid here: bit.ly/3ctvWWR

We are calling out to any folks in the community to consider growing a Sistering Garden this summer in support of our kitchen! Thanks to The Stop Community Food Centre, we have some seedlings available for anyone interested in participating. Please get in touch at [email protected]

Read the full update: https://sistering.org/covid-19-update/