Bringing life to a dreary building
Thanks to mural artist Stephen Carroll, our outreach building has a fresh look. We asked for something bright, with an uplifting feel, and he certainly delivered! Stephen Carroll was born and raised in Toronto. As a teenager Carroll began painting Graffiti illegally; a practice he no longer maintains. Carroll has taken a leave of absence from Ryerson's Masters of Fine Arts in Documentary Media until next May in order to produce a documentary. He is also employed as an occasional teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Lounging around at the shelter
After much thought and effort, we created a lounge for the residents in the shelter. The lounge is multipurpose with various stations that can be used by everyone. It has an entertainments area, literature section, and a sewing station.

The entertainment area consists of a radio and twp computers. These computers are used to assist the children and teenagers with homework and school assignments. As well, the women find the computers useful for employment and housing purposes as well as surfing the net. The literature area contains books, novels, and magazines that appeal to all age groups. The sewing station provides the residents with necessary items that they may need to create an outfit and/or alter an existing piece. Comfortable seating is always appreciated and we have a sofa and chairs as the final elements to complete the lounge.

This multi-functional lounge has provided the residents with a space to socialize and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.

Day at the Zoo
Our parent drop-in trip enjoyed a trip to the zoo one Friday in July. Fun was had by all.

Kids from Women's Habitat are entertained
Kids (and their Moms) have been able to enjoy free tickets to some exciting events recently, including tickets to High School Musical, through the generosity of the Kids Up Front Foundation. The kids also enjoyed two Toronto Raptors games last season.

Across Canada, Kids Up Front creates fun and new experiences for kids, by forwarding unused tickets from individuals or corporations to charities.

Tickets like these are not affordable for the women and children who use our services. And they are a great break for the stressors of everyday life.

Healthcare comes to the shelter
Beginning in January, we started running a weekly health clinic in partnership with the Inner City Health Associates. Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe, a physician, sees our clients and their children at the shelter.

For years, there have been different groups looking at the impact of poverty and violence against women on health. Dr. Wijayasinghe will gather information and statistics from our clients.

Many of our clients have had trouble accessing proper healthcare for a number of reasons:

• lack of proper documentation (no Health card)
• lack of understanding of their rights
• doctor shortage
• limited understanding of the English language
• policies that are not "client-friendly" - many clients have trust issues related to their history of abuse and are only comfortable seeing a doctor with a counsellor present - many doctor's offices do not allow anyone to accompany the women
• charges for missed appointments
• transportation issues
• transient so can't form relationships with doctors
• women in an abusive relationships are often not permitted to see the doctor

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care pays Dr. Wijayasinghe's salary as part of the program. Dr. Wijayasinghe also works out of the Queen West Community Health Centre and the Hassle-Free Clinic.

A special thank you to Robert Carleton MCI Medical, who was kind enough to donate many of the items needed to start-up the clinic, such as an examining table; instruments; and a medicine fridge.

How can you help?
In order to run this innovative project in the most cost-effective manner, and provide the best possible care for our clients, we are looking to secure the following items:

• Pap smear kits
• Exam table paper roll
• Pregnancy kits
• Needles and viles for routine blood work

If you would like to donate any of these items, please contact trobbinson@womens-habitat.ca

Thank you to Lakeshore Collegiate
Thanks to the auto mechanics class at LCI, our agency car has been fixed. Donated a number of years ago, the 1992 Toyota Corolla had seen better days. A local company quoted $800 to fix the car - the students at Lakeshore did it for the cost of a new battery. We use the car to pick up donations all over the City and are grateful for the continued support of the community.

Women's Habitat is going green!
We've planted a community garden - click here for more details.

Investing in Neighbourhoods
We have hired four women through the City of Toronto's Investing in Neighbourhoods program. Locally based projects are critical to both the success of Ontario Works clients and the strength of local infrastructure in the community. Investing in Neighbourhoods is a Toronto Social Services initiative that allows agencies like Women's Habitat to create needed positions within the agency, 100% funded for one year through the City of Toronto.

This initiative provides women on social assistance with skill building opportunities and the potential to obtain references through paid employment. It's a win-win situation.