YWCA Durham

06/03/2026

Happy times! Kids staying in our Y's WISH Shelter were treated to a fun Croc-a-Doodle outing recently, thanks to funds from recent McHappy Day® proceeds.

These outings mean the world to our clients!

06/02/2026

🌈 This Pride Month, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

At YWCA Durham, we believe that everyone deserves to live free from violence, fear, and discrimination. We recognize that members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities can face unique barriers when seeking safety, support, and belonging. That is why we are committed to creating welcoming, inclusive spaces where all individuals are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

Pride is a celebration of identity, but it is also a reminder that the work toward equality, safety, and acceptance continues. This month, and every month, we stand with 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, families, and communities in advocating for a future where everyone can live authentically and safely.

You belong. You are valued. You are welcome here.

Happy Pride Month. 🌈💜

06/01/2026

Super big thanks to this lovely crew from Elevation Church in Whitby who helped to assemble shelving and other furniture in our new Giving Village space! This is a major project for us, so we really appreciate the help along the way. They even brought their own tool bag!!

We so appreciate this effort. Thank you.

05/20/2026

If you are interested in the courageous story of a woman whose persistence, despite 16 years of violence, coercive control, and her 10-year journey through the family court system this article in Canadian Lawyer is written in accessible language. It also explains that existing tort did not advance access to justice for victims of intimate partner violence, and how the new tort recognizes "the many insidious and invisible" forms of intimate partner abuse, harm and coercive control.

https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/landmark-supreme-court-of-canada-decision-creates-new-tort-of-intimate-partner-violence/394112

The Supreme Court of Canada has officially recognized a new tort of intimate partner violence — a landmark decision that acknowledges the devastating realities of coercive control, abuse, and the loss of dignity, autonomy, and equality within intimate relationships.

This ruling marks a major shift in how Canadian law understands intimate partner violence: not as isolated incidents, but as patterns of coercion and control that undermine a person’s freedom and humanity.

One line from the decision says it all:

“I am not just a bruised spouse, I am an unfree spouse.”

Pamela Cross writes about why this decision matters, what the Court recognized, and why this is such an important moment for survivors and advocates.

Read the full blog here: https://ow.ly/yykb50Z1FkW

05/15/2026

Please note: our offices are closed on Monday, May 18th

As always, our Y's WISH Shelter and Crisis Line is available 24/7. Please call (905) 576-2997 or 1-888-576-2997 any time if you need our help.

We wish everyone a happy and safe long weekend.

05/14/2026

We are reaching out to share an incredible opportunity to recognize and celebrate meaningful charitable impact right here in our community.

The Wealth Durham Charitable Champion initiative highlights individuals and families who are making a difference through intentional and thoughtful giving.

This program is about more than donations. It's about values, legacy, and aligning your philanthropic goals with causes that matter most to you and to Durham Region.

As part of the initiative, IG Wealth is recognizing participants for their commitment to community impact and they need your help to celebrate these members of our community!

Nominations can be made online and only take a few minutes (250 words or less). They are due by Sunday, May 24th.

The champion ceremony will be held on the evening of May 28th at our very own Adelaide House at 33 McGrigor Street in Oshawa.

Don't forget to nominate a charity champion in your life!

https://durhamregionscharitablechampio.splashthat.com/

05/13/2026

We were honoured to attend the inspiring and beautiful "Together for Survivors" publication event hosted by SafeHope Home.

This event launched the survivor-written publication and featured readings by survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence.

What an incredible evening of sharing and hope.

05/12/2026

We are thrilled to announce that we will receive over $8,000 as a result of McHappy Day® last week. All in support of the backyard makeover at our Y’s WISH Shelter!

Thank you to McDonald’s® restaurant owner Lisa Wilson for choosing our shelter for this generous donation. Thank you to Robin, Community Relations Representative for making this possible, and to the incredibly hard-working and lovely staff at the Harmony and Taunton restaurant location. Thank you to every customer who chose to donate as well.

Our staff and volunteers had so much fun on McHappy Day®. There were so many smiles—it truly is the happiest day!

We are all so grateful for this valuable donation that helps kids feel like kids while they stay at Y’s WISH Shelter.

Thank you!

05/08/2026

Thank you to Ava Procunier - Agent, At Your Service - Real Estate for delivering gorgeous bouquets of flowers for our clients at Adelaide House! Ava did the same last year, and we are so grateful she decided to do this again.

Ava (on the right in the picture) made the flower arrangements herself and brought them to our Mother's Day tea today. Thanks to Sharon, our Second Stage Transitional Housing Worker (on the left in the picture) for treating everyone to a beautiful Mother's Day gathering.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.