Street Haven at the Crossroads

10/08/2026

Community that shows up for one another. What more could we ask for? 💛

Our relationship with the Junior League of Toronto started back in the spring, when we were lucky enough to be picked as one of their grant recipients.

Months later, Natalie from the JLT reached out to see if there were other ways we could work together. This is exactly the kind of community partnership we love: one that keeps growing, one connection at a time.

They chose Street Haven as one of their charities for Find the Good Day, an initiative created by the JLT to recognize how small acts of kindness can transform communities. They generously made up 24 Welcome Home baskets for our clients, filled with everyday essentials like cleaning and cooking supplies, all packed inside a laundry hamper they get to keep.

These small essentials make a big difference. For clients stepping into a new chapter of independence and stability, having the basics already covered means one less thing to worry about and one more reason to feel supported as they start fresh.

This partnership has already shown us how generous and kind the people in our circle truly are. We can't wait to see where it grows from here. Thank you, JLT!

10/07/2026

Meet Tishana, our newest team member!

Tishana Lynch has joined Street Haven as our Addictions and Harm Reduction Outreach Worker, supporting women at Street Haven who are navigating substance use.

At Street Haven, harm reduction means meeting women where they are. It means helping women stay safe, whether or not they're ready, or able, to stop using. No judgment. No shame. Just respect, care and support, at each woman's own pace.

Some women are ready for treatment. Some aren't yet. All of them deserve care, and all of them are welcome to reach out.

If you or someone you know could use support, call our intake line at 416-967-6060 ext. 327 (toll-free: 1-844-967-6060) or visit streethaven.org/services/addictions-outreach-services.

10/05/2026

Women's History Month is here, and there are so many ways to celebrate! 🎉 Here are a few of our favourites:

💜 Give back. Volunteer or donate to local women's charities. It's as easy as starting a donation drive with friends and family. Here at Street Haven, we're always looking for shampoo, toothpaste, and menstrual products for the women in our programs.

🎬 Host a feminist movie night. Explore the National Film Board of Canada's collection of films celebrating women and girls and the trailblazers who shaped our country. Popcorn encouraged! 🍿 Check out their list here: https://www.nfb.ca/channels/celebrate-womens-history-month-canada/

📚 Start a book club. Focus on women authors and women's stories. It's a fun way to get together with friends and learn about women's history!

🛍️ Shop women-owned. From clothing to bookstores to coffee shops, explore all the great women-owned businesses Toronto has to offer.

🎶 Press play. Build a playlist of women musicians, from Canadian icons like Céline Dion and Shania Twain to your own personal favourites.

How are you celebrating this month? Tell us in the comments! 👇

10/02/2026

It all started with one phone call. 📞

We're thrilled to be partnering with the Verity Club of Toronto. What began as a single conversation has grown into something we're really excited about: a group of passionate, dedicated professional women who want to dive in, understand the complexities of homelessness and how it affects women, and learn what they can do, as a group and as individuals, to support Street Haven.

We love community support from women's organizations. Thank you, Verity, for your curiosity and your commitment. 💛

10/01/2026

It's the first day of Women's History Month, and we're starting with the woman who started it all: our founder, Peggy Ann Walpole. 💜 We've been working on something special to honour her (that’s for another post!), but first, let's get to know Peggy a little better.

Peggy Ann was born and raised in Toronto and graduated from St. Michael's School of Nursing in 1955. While working in the emergency department at St. Michael's Hospital, she kept seeing women sent home with nowhere safe to go. So, in 1965, she decided to do something about it.

She opened Street Haven as a women's drop-in program in a beverage room at the Atalanta Hotel, offering food, clothing, a warm room and help without judgment. In its first four years, more than 600 women walked through the door.

In 1967, she opened a permanent emergency shelter for women at 87 Pembroke Street, one of the first of its kind in Canada! That house is still a Street Haven shelter today.

From there, Peggy Ann built a vision that was ahead of its time and has since been embraced across the country: support that brings together shelter, housing, addiction treatment, mental health care, skills training and supportive housing, all in one place.

Her work earned recognition at the municipal, provincial and national levels, including the Ontario Good Citizenship Medal (1974) and the Order of Canada (1980). When she passed away in 2006, the Toronto Star called her "Toronto's Mother Teresa."

We love being able to celebrate the important women who shaped Street Haven. Every Monday this month, we'll be sharing new postsI about the women behind Street Haven, community events and more. Stay tuned!

09/30/2026

At Street Haven, we've never let September 30th pass without making room for teaching and healing. Healing is the heart of what we do. Women can't rebuild their lives in a place that doesn't understand where they've been. And there is so much to learn from Indigenous teachings about healing, teachings that can shape how we support the women we serve. So, we keep learning, together, staff and clients alike.

Yesterday, our team at Grant House hosted clients and staff for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.

Vince Pawis Sr., the founder and Executive Director of White Buffalo Road Healing Lodge, led us through the Seven Grandfather Teachings: love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility and wisdom. These teachings are incredibly powerful when we use them to understand each other and to heal.

Then we broke bread and shared a meal with each other.

Thank you, Vince for sharing these important teachings with us. Today, wear orange. Go to an event. Listen to Indigenous communities and learn from them. It may in fact help with your own healing too.

09/25/2026

Up the stairs. Down the hall. Into every room where the work happens.

Last week, we hosted Canada Life at Grant House, our addictions and mental health program, as United Way Greater Toronto kicks off campaign season. Canada Life's support of United Way helps fund programs like ours — so instead of just telling them about it, we showed them.

We gave them the full tour, then sat down to talk about what Grant House means for the women who come through our doors, and how it changes lives.

Because reading about impact is one thing. Walking through it is another.

Thank you to Canada Life and to Women United for making this visit happen. 💛

09/25/2026

A huge thank you to Junction Triangle Really Really Free Market for collecting donations for Street Haven! 🧡 We're so excited to start partnering with them and love everything this event stands for, giving items that are no longer needed by one person a second life with someone who needs them. Sustainable, community-minded, and exactly the kind of collaboration we love to be part of.

If you're in the neighbourhood and have donations, stop by! You might even find a treasure for yourself.

We’re thrilled to announce the expansion of the targeted donation portion of this event, amplifying our positive effect in the community. Last May we collected specific items for CAMH, Street Haven and we also had a dedicated textile recycling bin for items that we deemed too dirty to be recirculated. This iteration we are adding a fourth stream for Local Youths and Families in Need.

Here are some specific items that have been requested that you can bring and be sure they will reach someone who needs them:

CAMH

-Extra-large sweaters (up to 3X) both male and female
-Running shoes (sizes 9–13), dress shoes
-New socks men’s jeans sizes 36 up to 44 and toiletries
-Caps, new underwear, T-shirts, sweaters
-Fall and winter jackets, (sizes XL–3X)

STREET HAVEN

-Towels
-Bed sheets ( twins especially) and fitted sheets
-Pillows and pillow cases
-Adult winter coats and winter boots
-Any cosmetic or hygiene products (new or gently used)
-Women's clothing of all sizes
-Household items like mugs, plates, cutlery

LOCAL YOUTHS AND FAMILIES IN NEED

-Twin-sized comforters
-Twin-sized sheets
-Cosmetic or other small organizers
-Microwave
-Pink decorations (blankets, pillows, wall art, water bottles, extra-large sweaters)
-Large bins with lids
-Dog toys
-Tablets or laptops
-Fall/Winter clothing for newborn-9months (male)
-Fall/Winter clothing for 8months-2year-old (female)
-Baby swing

09/22/2026

"Street Haven has helped me in my sobriety journey, helped me mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am thankful and if I get a chance, I will choose to stay here longer." — Christina Ashawasagai, Grant House client

At Grant House, our team are there for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness who are working through mental health and addiction, offering a safe, judgment-free space to heal. Everyone's journey looks different, so we meet each woman where she's at, with real support and a whole lot of heart. Because recovery touches every part of life, our team is there for all of it.

Donate today and help more women like Christina find the safety, support, and second chance they deserve. https://streethaven.org/make-a-donation/ 🤍

07/10/2026

A big thank you to our friends at RBC 💙

We want to share a story about what community support and generosity really look like.

Lately, Street Haven has been blessed with an incredible wave of furniture donations for our clients. Our storage garage was absolutely full of these wonderful gifts, and we knew we needed to get everything organized so we could efficiently distribute the items to the people who need them most.

That's when we called on Rudy Sonhing, our dedicated RBC volunteer ambassador. With very little notice, Rudy brought together five RBC volunteers who spent the day organizing the entire garage, putting a full inventory system in place so we can seamlessly continue accepting your generous donations.

While they worked, we had a very special goal in mind: one of our clients was moving into her first permanent home. Thanks to the team's hard work, we were able to easily sort through and fill a van with furniture and everyday essentials to ensure her new place would truly feel like home. Our Executive Director Andrea, along with our Directors of Employment & Training (Cynthia) and Shelter & Housing (Grace), were there to see the beautifully packed van off.

It takes a village to manage this level of community giving, and we are so grateful to RBC and to Rudy for consistently showing up for Street Haven and our clients.

Interested in getting your workplace, church group, or community organization involved? We always welcome volunteers, big and small. Give us a call or email Kate at [email protected] to learn how you can help.

Thank you for being part of the Street Haven family. ❤️