The Redwood

A very special shout out to the amazing team at Women's College Hospital and the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre under the direction of Dr. Suvendreni Lena, for their tireless work in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in vulnerable communities. This team provided our staff and residents at The Redwood with onsite proactive mass testing and continue to support survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence with access to timely and sensitively administered health care to keep them safer. https://torontolife.com//over-the-last-six-months-ive-tes/

Today is the International Day for Older Persons, and for those who don't know, we offer services to ALL women over the age of 18. Here is a little information about elder abuse and how older folks can reach us if they need support fleeing an abusive situation.

Today is #orangeshirtday. Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission Residential Scool (1791-1981) Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in William's Lake, BC, in May 2013. The reunion events were designed to recall the residential school experience, honour the healing journey of survivors and their families, and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. ... At the events, former student, Phyllis (Jack) Webstad told her story of her first day at the school when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken away from her. To learn more, visit orangeshirtday.org. #everychildmatters

We spent today really wishing we could be at Take Back the Night 2020. Here are a few photos of our Young Women On The Move group at last year's event. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy weekend!

Summer 2020 at The Redwood was different...and, still fun! Thank you to all who made this possible.

Take Back The Night 2020 in Toronto is postponed. Thank you to Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape (TRCC/MWAR) for all of the hard work they put into preparing for it. Be sure to follow them for more info. We are devastated, but everyone's health and safety is of utmost importance to us right now. ... cred: @torontorapecrisiscentre

Thank you to Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area for gifting us with this gorgeous playhouse for our new Redwood Park!

We're here for you! If you, or anyone you know, is living with an abusive relationship, iDetermine.ca offers 24/7 live chat and text support for women and nonbinary people. Thank you to @choose.ca and two major Redwood donors, Catherine Booth and Michael Kirk for funding this platform.

Introducing Redwood Park!! Two years ago, we began dreaming about a vibrant and engaging outdoor play space for children living at The Redwood. We wanted them to have access to a therapeutic playground where they could experience the joys of simply being a kid again and heal from the trauma of living with violence. Our plan was to host an open house and BBQ in Redwood Park (while the families enjoyed a safe and fun night out in the city) so the community could see the the a...mazing new space. Covid had other plans for us, but we are happy to let you know that the families love the new space. When the outbreak of COVID-19 started and playgrounds were closed, the park provided a safe place for the kids to get fresh air, play, and burn off some energy! A huge thank you and shout out to Greenrock Real Estate Advisor (@greenrockatvillagegreen) who were thrilled to provide a gift of $30,000 dollars to make this dream possible. We partnered with a local farm - The Toronto Black Farmers & Food Growers Collective - to grow fruits and veggies in the space and give families the opportunity to learn how to grow your own food. To learn more, read the full newsletter through the link below: https://www.theredwood.com/who-we-are/publications/

WOW!! We are so grateful for our friends @TurnerFleischerArchitectsInc for raising over $10,000 for women and children living at The Redwood during this time. Turner Fleischer has been a friend to us for many, many years. They brighten up the shelter by bringing holiday cheer through out the year and facilitating fun activities for the kids. This year, they were unable to volunteer because of COVID and we've missed them dearly. They decided to throw their #TFMovesTogether fun...draiser to give back and stay connected. This team is truly amazing and we can't wait to have them back.

Good news...pass it on!

Everyone at The Redwood remains safe and healthy, and we are continuing to operate as normal. We are simply taking a short social media break and will be back in a week or so. If you need support leaving an abusive relationship, please visit iDetermine.ca to live chat, text 647.370.8300, or call 416.533.8538. If you need to get a hold of The Redwood for any other reason, please contact our Director of Fundraising and Communications at [email protected]. ... Talk soon!

Happy Women's Equality Day! We would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about EQUITY, rather than focusing on equality. EQUITY is the process of providing each person with the resources, opportunities, tools, and space to fully participate in our society - in a way that they feel is meaningful. Equality is the process of providing each person with the same resources, opportunities, toos, and space. While that sounds amazing on paper, it's important to re...alize that each person has different needs and we ignore those needs by focusing solely on equality. For Women's Equality Day, we encourage you to teach someone more about equity today! This image is a design by @bydissirama! Check out their page and #supportblackartists.

Boundaries can be tricky to understand and they are different for everyone. If you're looking to develop and practice them in your relationships, here's a quick guide that you can use.

Not all relationships start off abusive and abuse is not always experienced every day. Often, abuse occurs in cycle similar to the one pictured below. Whether folks experience abuse every day, or only some days, it's important for them to know it's never okay. If you, or anyone you know, is living with an abusive relationship, iDetermine.ca offers 24/7 live chat and text support for women and nonbinary people. Thank you to Canadian Internet Registration Authority and two m...ajor Redwood donors, Catherine Booth and Michael Kirk for funding this platform. It's never too early to reach out for help and folks can do so by visiting iDetermine.ca or texting 647.370.8300.

Folks may know that we provide emergency shelter for women and children fleeing abuse. We are also working to end gender-based violence, poverty, and homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women in Toronto, particularly racialized and those living in poverty. The end of the eviction moratorium in Ontario will have devastating impacts for the women who are already affected and will cause an unprecedented wave of homelessness across the city. If you...'re struggling with eviction, visit keepyourrent.com. if you're struggling with an abusive home, visit iDetermine.ca or text 647.370.8300. Please share additional resources below

Our new friends at @AlgonquinCapital understand that along with the health crisis, gender-based violence has escalated, creating a double pandemic for many women and children. To support the community, Algonquin Capital has donated $20,000 to support women and children seeking refuge at The Redwood. We're so grateful for their kindness! https://www.theredwood.com/algonquin-capital-helps-women-a/

Relationship abuse has many forms. It is a set of patterns or behaviours that are used to gain power and control over an individual. Abuse can be, but is not always, physical. All of the experiences in the photo below are good reasons to reach out for support. The Redwood recently launched iDetermine.ca, a live chat and text option for women and non-binary people who are looking for support dealing with an unsafe relationship. ... The website offers: 24/7 access to counsellors via text & chat A safety assessment quiz Referrals and resources Information about abuse Visit iDetermine.ca to live chat or text 647.370.8300. Thank you to Canadian Internet Registration Authority and two of our major donors, Catherine Booth and Michael Kirk for funding this initiative.

We're so grateful for our friends at Conversion Digital, a Toronto-based marketing agency, who reached out to see how they could help The Redwood during this very challenging time. They've raised over $7,400 to support women and children living at The Redwood and offered $10,000 worth of services to help us get the word out about iDetermine.ca, our new online platform which offers crisis support via chat and text to women and non-binary people. Click below to read the entire... blog post! https://www.theredwood.com/conversion-digital-marketing-ag/

Happy Sunday! Wishing you a day of both resiliency and self-care.

It's all connected.

Let's talk about relationship safety. Do you feel trapped, controlled, or scared in your relationship(s)? In Canada, a woman is killed every 6 days by her partner and there are thousands more who are living with abuse. The Redwood recently launched iDetermine.ca, a live chat and text option for women and non-binary people who are looking for support dealing with an unsafe relationship. ... The website offers: 24/7 access to counsellors via text & chat A safety assessment quiz Referrals and resources Information about abuse It is never too early to get support. Visit iDetermine.ca to live chat or text 647.370.8300. Thank you to Canadian Internet Registration Authority and two major Redwood donors, Catherine Booth and Michael Kirk for funding this platform.