Sanctuary

Sanctuary Becoming a healthy, welcoming community where people who are poor & excluded are particularly valued.

low-barrier healthcare supports people in accessing care without unnecessary requirements like paperwork or appointments...
06/25/2026

low-barrier healthcare supports people in accessing care without unnecessary requirements like paperwork or appointments, and without judgment, especially for people experiencing housing instability, low income, or mental health and substance use challenges.

help us continue accessible care in our communities, donate through the link in our bio

because in a world like this, sometimes all we can offer is our presence.we can’t fix the issues.we can’t make them “fee...
06/19/2026

because in a world like this, sometimes all we can offer is our presence.

we can’t fix the issues.
we can’t make them “feel” better.
we can’t solve the problems.

but we can stay.

“he just sat on the park bench with me for hours... and listened.”

sometimes, being there is the most meaningful thing we have to give.

Toronto has a shelter system that is already full. So where do people go when there is nowhere left to go?•
06/17/2026

Toronto has a shelter system that is already full. So where do people go when there is nowhere left to go?
•

you know how hard it is to be sick and be unhoused?you’ve got nowhere to go.no one checking on you.no warm bed to crawl ...
06/03/2026

you know how hard it is to be sick and be unhoused?

you’ve got nowhere to go.
no one checking on you.
no warm bed to crawl into.
no soup waiting for you.
no safe place to just fall apart and rest.

you grunt and moan through the pain out on the street while the world keeps moving like you don’t exist.

and people really expect someone to recover like this?

how do you heal when you’re constantly exposed to the cold, the rain, the noise, the fear, the exhaustion?
how do you get better when survival never stops?

he’s 28 years old. only 28.

“i want to go to the hospital… but can you come with me?” he asked.

of course we went. he’s our friend. Our little brother in this life.

so we sat with him in the ambulance.
sat with him in the er.
waiting together. hoping together.
both praying for something better than this.

and honestly, it breaks something in you realizing how many people get discharged from hospitals straight back into the street sick, alone, and expected to somehow survive.

our summer bbq has finally arrived and for once, the weather decided to cooperate 😂 this year, we’re hosting a bbq every...
05/29/2026

our summer bbq has finally arrived and for once, the weather decided to cooperate 😂

this year, we’re hosting a bbq every last thursday of the month all summer long.

we experience so much together as community. the grief. the joy. the heaviness of survival. the loneliness so many people carry. the anger toward systems that continue to fail people. the exhaustion that comes from just trying to make it through another day.

and yet, we still show up for each other.

because it matters.

at sanctuary, community has always been at the core of who we are and always will be. friendship is what holds us together. we check in on each other, share meals, laugh hard, carry hard days together, and try our best to love one another well.

because we are friends.
and that’s what friends are for. 💛

We’re all guilty of forgetting our reusable grocery bags at home… so naturally we buy another one. And another one. And ...
05/27/2026

We’re all guilty of forgetting our reusable grocery bags at home… so naturally we buy another one. And another one. And suddenly your cupboard opens like an avalanche of bags and you’ve got 50 of them staring back at you.

Instead of letting them reproduce in your kitchen cabinet, bring them to Sanctuary Toronto!

We have a clothes room where community members can grab clothing, hygiene items, and survival gear. Many folks are unhoused and need something to carry their belongings in, and reusable bags honestly make a huge difference, seriously.

So if your bag collection has officially gotten out of hand, we’ll happily take them off your hands 💛

This article hits hard.Women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness are dying from overdoses at disproporti...
05/27/2026

This article hits hard.

Women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness are dying from overdoses at disproportionately higher rates, while also having less access to safe shelters, harm reduction, and support.

A lot of people talk about homelessness like it’s one issue, but the reality is that women on the streets often face violence, exploitation, stigma, and isolation every single day.

We’re grateful to Simone Sutherland for sharing her story so openly. Stories like hers remind us that people are not disposable, and recovery and healing are possible when people are given safety, support, and community.

Housing saves lives. Harm reduction saves lives. Being treated like a human being saves lives.

“As FIFA fever sweeps Toronto, unhoused residents and advocates say a much darker story is emerging impacting the city’s...
05/27/2026

“As FIFA fever sweeps Toronto, unhoused residents and advocates say a much darker story is emerging impacting the city’s most vulnerable.

The Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union (TUHU) alleges residents experiencing homelessness are reporting forced removals, intimidation, verbal abuse and violence linked to increased enforcement and public space management efforts. The group says concerns are growing that visibly poor and unhoused people are being pushed out ahead of FIFA-related activity in the city.

“Union Station isn’t a safe consumption site, but it is a safe place for us to be together, to look out for one another,” said Crystofur an unhoused Toronto resident…

The group points to what it calls an alarming increase in violence inside washrooms and enclosed spaces. Organizers shared photos from the men’s washroom at Union GO Station tied to one account alleging a man was dragged from a bathroom stall by security while his pants were still around his ankles and left outside.”

📸 Simon Beairsto

sometimes healing is not about having all the answers.sometimes it’s just about holding each other through uncertain tim...
05/08/2026

sometimes healing is not about having all the answers.
sometimes it’s just about holding each other through uncertain times.

at Sanctuary, we witness reciprocity in such beautiful and human ways every day.
people showing up for each other with care, presence, food, laughter, honesty, and love.

reminding each other that none of us were meant to carry life alone.

a table can hold more than a meal.it can hold stories, differences, tension, and connectionit can reveal who is welcomed...
04/29/2026

a table can hold more than a meal.

it can hold stories, differences, tension, and connection
it can reveal who is welcomed and who is still waiting

this reflection is about the kind of table we’re building
one shaped by community, challenged by the way Jesus welcomed others, and rooted in the belief that everyone belongs

not perfect. not polished. but real

and maybe that’s where transformation begins

who’s at your table?

Address

25 Charles Street E
Toronto, ON
M4Y1R9

Telephone

416-922-0628

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