2025 Annual Fundraising Letter
Dear Friends,
It was heartening to welcome 800 people to the 97 Victoria Open Houses. While we celebrated the completion of construction, the stark realities of the struggles people face continue to weigh on us. Our community has so much to give, but the many challenges people face are ever present.
How do we respond when a couple at an encampment finds they are expecting a baby? What support can be found for their baby in the midst of such an emergency? Outreach work on the street is jarring. Our health workers provided wound care 1288 times last year to those without housing. This is service at its most basic need.
How do we support the many new Canadians who are struggling to find work now that the labour market is producing fewer jobs? How do we ensure workers can find the jobs they need, when the conditions for employment at every factory are tighter?
The Working Centre’s housing projects are vital to our community. 375 different people were provided a bed in shelter last year. A further 120 people are living in 79 different housing units owned by The Working Centre.
97 Victoria will offer new dimensions of support. The addition of 44 units of purpose-built housing will support those most affected by homelessness. The work of housing stability is centred on helping people move past dislocation, addiction and complex health issues. Located in the heart of the St John’s Kitchen hub of supports/services, these 44 units of housing offer a chance to build and maintain housing and personal stability. The goal is working together to engage strengths and reinforce each person’s ability to strive for stability.
The Job Search Resource Centre has become increasingly important for newcomers and refugees. Many face unique barriers to employment, such as, language hurdles, recognition of qualifications and delays in accessing income support. The practical job search supports are important to help build bridges toward stability and participation in community life.
For over 40 years, The Working Centre has been creating access to tools for those without work, those without housing and the most vulnerable—a web of community building. We have always welcomed those left out, offering belonging, practical supports, and ways to contribute. We all can feel the social fabric changing, and we are called to respond with renewed clarity and openness to engage the community further in this important work.
Looking ahead, these are the paths we choose:
- Deepening our housing supports so that more people can move from being unsheltered/living in shelter to home.
- Expanding the Work & Livelihood programs so that those we serve have tools and opportunities to contribute, grow, and regain dignity.
- Strengthening opportunities for community connections: more shared spaces, more volunteers, more ways for people to feel part of this web of community building.
Your donations help us support people with creative projects that respond to growing poverty and housing instability. Supporters of The Working Centre have proven, year after year, that community donations are a vital to response to local issues. We are grateful for your ongoing support in building our community of support.
Sincerely,
Joe Mancini, Director
