By Christina Reed, Contributor
Every winter, many women in Hamilton find themselves without a safe, warm place to sleep.
Without protection from the elements, these women struggle to survive. As affordable housing in Hamilton becomes increasingly inaccessible, the number of homeless women in Hamilton in need of emergency shelters rises each year. According to a 2018 community profile from the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 65 per cent of the 386 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness in Hamilton spent the night at a shelter.
In Hamilton, a number of non-profit organizations collectively work to address the needs of women vulnerable to homelessness. Mission Services of Hamilton, a Christian charity centred around eradicating poverty, runs Willow’s Place, a year-round drop-in hub that provides safety and amenities during daytime hours. This includes access to showers, harm reduction services, a secure place to rest and opportunities to engage in creative and social activities. In the winter, Willow's Place provides extended hours, given that they secure sufficient donor support.
Carole Anne’s Place is an overflow women’s shelter run during the winter months by the Young Women’s Christian Association of Hamilton, a women-led service organization that focuses on health and wellness programs. Women coming to Carole Anne’s place are greeted with a hot meal, a safe bed to sleep in and hot coffee the following morning. Bus tickets are provided so that women can travel between Willow’s Place and Carole Anne’s Place.
Violetta Nikolskaya, Senior Program Analyst at the YWCA Hamilton and co-founder of the Women and Gender Equity Network at McMaster, said that working around the clock was key to working together and providing essential services.
“Our relationship was built on the collaboration of women's services — no one organization can do this alone,” she added.
“Our relationship was built on the collaboration of women's services — no one organization can do this alone,” said Violetta Nikolskaya, Senior Program Analyst at the YWCA Hamilton and co-founder of the Women and Gender Equity Network at McMaster
This is the fourth winter that Carole Anne’s Place has supported homeless women in Hamilton. The program originated from another Hamilton non-profit, Out of the Cold, which offers hot meals to those in need over the winter months.
Previously, Carol Anne’s Place had been funded by Out of the Cold and Hamilton-Niagara’s Local Health Integration Network, one of the 14 provincial authorities that governed public healthcare administration in 2019. Ontario’s 14 LHINs were replaced by a 12-member Ontario health agency board; as a result, the YWCA has lost access to previous funding.
There would be no provincial support for Carole Anne’s Place to open on Dec. 1. Without funding, Carole Anne’s Place would be unable to open this winter, leaving many homeless women with nowhere to go during dangerously cold nights. Willow’s Place, which relies on donations, would also be unable to expand their winter hours without further funding this year.
On Nov. 6, in a last-minute push, City Hall approved $128,000 in emergency funding to keep Carole Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place available this winter.
This is not a sustainable solution. Sam Merulla, the Ward 4 councillor who moved to provide the donation, sided with this point.
"It's not good management to have someone all the sudden come in at the eleventh hour and say 'we need a quarter of a million dollars?' It's not good governance," said Merulla to CBC.
"It's not good management to have someone all the sudden come in at the eleventh hour and say 'we need a quarter of a million dollars?' It's not good governance," said Merulla.
According to Nikolskaya, it is not uncommon for initiatives such as Carole Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place to struggle with sustainable core funding. The need to maintain emergency shelters in Hamilton is becoming more urgent with the rising number of homeless women in the city. Nikolskaya reports that emergency women’s shelters have been over capacity for the last several years, and she has witnessed the amount of women seeking refuge at Carole Anne’s Place increasing with every year.
In the winter of 2014-2015, Nikolskaya reports that only about five women would access Carole Anne’s programming per night. In the winter of 2018-2019, this number jumped to an average of 14 women per night, with some nights seeing as many as 20.
Often reaching maximum capacity, Hamilton's shelters have been turning away women in recent years. This is likely linked to the rising prevalence of homelessness in Hamilton and a lack of affordable housing.
While monetary donations play a huge role in supporting the YWCA and Mission Services, there are other ways to contribute. For example, donations of socks and underwear are also valuable. According to Nikolskaya, any contribution can be an impactful one in ensuring that no woman is left in the cold this winter.
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Karen Piper
The Silhouette
Cocoa tea is a traditional breakfast beverage in St. Lucia, derived mainly from locally grown cocoa on the island. The cocoa plant grows abundantly in St. Lucia and is world-renowned for its high quality.
This hot delicacy has multiple health benefits such as reducing high blood beverage canadian pharmacy viagra generic and lowering cholesterol. Not to mention, this is the ideal treat to help keep you warm during those cold winter months!
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup grated cocoa
Lime peel of 1 lime
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp clove
Preparation:
Pour water, milk, vanilla essence and cocoa into a pot and bring to a boil.
Add lime peel, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and clove into the mixture and let it boil for 15 minutes.
Allow the beverage to cool for five minutes before serving.
Strain thoroughly and enjoy!
Jason Woo
The Silhouette
One morning, as I pulled off my blankets and placed my feet on the ground, I reflexed and kneed myself in the face. That’s how cold and unforgiving the floor was. That is also how I knew it was November.
November marks the beginning of the annual “Dark Age”, in which it looks like it’s 2 a.m. outside when it’s actually 6 p.m. Do not fret though, as this is also the time to pull out your oh-so-comfortable, huggable, and everything in between sweaters.
Since they’re so amazing, here’s a list of different types of sweaters you can own so you can be comfortable everyday without wearing the same garment.
1) The Classic Hoodie: This is so ubiquitous that I don’t really need to explain why it is awesome. Instead, I will say that a customized hoodie with a club name or favourite musician is a handy topic for conversation with strangers and acquaintances.
Where to find them: Pretty much any clothing store
2) The Winter Cardigan: November is also the time you pack away your thin fall cardigans, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop sporting cardigans all together! Knitted cardigans are warm, fashionable, and can double as a miniature blanket.
Where overnight viagra to find them: Zara, H&M and the like
3) The Christmas Sweater: Thanks to Macklemore, you cannot really find a tacky Christmas sweater at a thrift shop anymore, but this does not mean you shouldn’t look for one! Winter’s here to stay, so embrace it with your sweater and remind yourself (and everyone around you) that Christmas is just around the corner.
Where to find them: Thrift Shops, Urban Outfitters, Sears, tna
4) The V-neck Sweater: November is the time to layer and this nifty garment lets you do just that. Paired with a dress shirt, a regular shirt, or just going solo, this sweater works for a variety of occasions. P.S. a sweater vest also serves the same purpose.
Where to find them: Banana Republic, Club Monaco, J. Crew
5) The Turtleneck: One of the oldest types of sweaters known to man, this has truly stood the test of time. A true multipurpose sweater, it can be used in casual, business, and even sporty occasions as long as they are paired properly.
Where to find them: Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Roots
