YWCA Hamilton Programming Update

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This has been an unprecedented week as the situation with COVID-19 evolves.

Hamilton Public Health and leading health authorities world-wide are encouraging rigorous handwashing, social distancing and self-isolating when feeling unwell as methods of preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Therefore, we have taken the necessary step to restrict our downtown facility at 75 MacNab to all but essential services until April 5, 2020. Over the next few weeks, visitors to YWCA Hamilton’s downtown site will be asked to sign in and take necessary safety precautions, such as using hand sanitizer and rigorous handwashing, to keep our residents safe.

Carole Anne’s Place, an overnight drop-in centre for women who are experiencing homelessness, and which was scheduled to close on March 31, will remain open until the end of April.

We have also taken the following steps to encourage social distancing and support the community in reducing the spread of COVID-19:

Closure of all Child Care programming at all Hamilton and Dunnville facilities from March 16 until April 5, 2020, including:

  • Before and After School Care
  • March Break Camps
  • Full Day Child Care

Cancellation of Active Living Centre 55+ Special Event programming:

  • Anniversary Coffee and Cake on March 17
  • HPO Concert, Thai Lunch, Art Showcase on March 24
  • Senior Women’s IWD Event on Thursday March 26

Cancellation of all Active Living Centre 55+ programming at 75 MacNab, Churchill and SAPP Fit at the Riverdale location from March 16 until April 5, 2020.

Closure of our Fitness Centre and all associated Health and Wellness programming until April 5, 2020.

Closure of our pool and cancellation of all Aquatics programming until April 5, 2020.

Cancellation of all Employment programming and classes, including the Employment Resource Centre, until April 5, 2020.

Suspension of Developmental Services CASS and Y’Art until April 5.

Suspension of Developmental Services Fee-for-Service Programs until April 5, including:

  • March Break CREW
  • Express Yourself
  • Break A Sweat – Sports Edition
  • Mindful Yoga
  • Jewels and Gems
  • RIGHT Relationships
  • Kitchen Cook Off
  • PhotoStories
  • Recreation Committee Movie Night

Closure of the At the Table Café to the public until April 5, 2020. Programs that provide meals to our residents are still ongoing.

Paid program fees will be reimbursed for all the cancellations indicated above. We thank you for your cooperation as we continue to assess the situation.

Important Update on COVID-19 Planning

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To all YWCA Hamilton members, clients and visitors,

We understand and share in your concern around the risks associated with the coronavirus and know you might have questions about how we are working to keep you and your loved ones safe.

We want you to feel safe in our programs and because of that, we have been planning. Below you can find a list of what we are doing:

  • We are asking everyone to self-monitor for symptoms.
  • We have activated our Emergency Response Team and our Pandemic Plan.
  • We have emergency supplies on hand.
  • We are advising everyone to follow travel advisories.
  • We are asking those who are not feeling well to remain home.
  • We have enhanced communication on handwashing, contact with others and respiratory health protocols.
  • We have increased our cleaning protocols, especially in high touchpoint and traffic areas like elevators, doorknobs, light switches, etc.
  • We have introduced a 10-to-1 bleach solution for programs in areas where shared equipment is in use such as the Fitness Centre. 
  • We have added additional hand sanitizing stations in high traffic locations. 

The risk of contracting the virus in Hamilton is still low, according to Hamilton Public Health. We will continue to refer to the World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Hamilton Public Health for information, and keep you updated on this evolving situation.

YWCA Ottawa Street will be named the Putman Family YWCA

Quick escape link leading to Weather Network websiteQuick Escape Rendering of newly-named Putman Family YWCA in daylight hours

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Rendering of newly-named Putman Family YWCA at nightThe newly-reimagined Ottawa Street YWCA will be named The Putman Family YWCA, thanks to a $1 million donation from Hamilton’s Putman family, known locally as the founders of Ancaster-based Everest Toys.

Bob Putman and his wife Karen launched Everest Toys in 1992, which is now helmed by their son Doug, who has earned the reputation as a music industry “saviour” after acquiring – and turning around – failing Sunrise Records and HMV.

The Putmans approached YWCA Hamilton after reading a newspaper story about the lack of funding to Carole Anne’s Place, an emergency overnight drop-in centre for women who are experiencing homelessness.

“YWCA Hamilton has been at the forefront of addressing the affordable housing crisis in Hamilton,” says Denise Christopherson, CEO YWCA Hamilton. “The Putman family contribution will significantly support YWCA Hamilton’s efforts to eradicate women’s homelessness.”

“We wanted to be part of the solution,” says Doug, who credits his mother Karen with bringing the media story to the attention of the close-knit family.  “I obviously have a very strong mother and a very strong sister. I’ve got a very strong wife and I hope I’ve got a very strong daughter as she grows up. I see the impact of a mother on the kids, the family. What better place to support than mothers and families, because you can actually impact that next generation?”

The Putman family, including Bob and Karen, Doug, his wife Kerri Putman and daughter Hadley, as well as Bob and Karen’s daughter Jennifer Putman, her husband Pablo Roque and their daughter Anna Roque will take the stage at the 2020 Women of Distinction Awards, Thursday evening at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s, where they will announce their donation and urge the crowd of 1,000 guests to invest in women, girls and families in Hamilton.

“We are so grateful for this family’s investment in women and children in Hamilton,” says Christopherson. “The Putman family legacy will live on in the generations of families whose lives are improved by their generosity.”

Happy Holidays from YWCA Hamilton

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YWCA Hamilton wishes you all a holiday season filled with warmth, peace and happiness.

Our holiday hours are:

December 24: 6a.m. -4p.m.

December 25: CLOSED

December 26: CLOSED

December 31: 6a.m.-4p.m.

January 1: CLOSED

News and Events

Carole Anne’s Place to reopen in December

Quick escape link leading to Weather Network websiteQuick Escape Cathy (left) and Lindsey (right) pose for a photo in their apartment. They are getting their lives back together after spending an entire winter sleeping at Carole Anne's Place overflow centre.

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Cathy hunkered down inside an alcove near the GO station on Hunter Street where she and her partner Lindsey would be protected from the cold for at least one night. As she watched the snow fall and waited for Lindsey to join her, two men entered the small space to use intravenous drugs.

“And I’m sitting there freezing, almost in tears,” said Cathy. “Don’t know what to do, don’t know where to go. No money, no food, no drinks, no nothing, absolutely nothing. And I sat there and I watched it because I did not want to get beaten up, killed, robbed, raped or anything. I was scared for my life.”

Last week, Hamilton city councillors heard that on any given night, more than 200 women experience homelessness in Hamilton. They can be found sleeping in alcoves, in alleys, and even shipping containers, councillors were told at an emergency and community services committee meeting. Local shelters are at over-capacity and emergency overflow centres like YWCA Hamilton’s Carole Anne’s Place, which operates overnight during winter’s coldest months, and Willow’s Place, operated by Mission Services, can mean the difference between life and death for many women.

Medora Uppal, YWCA Hamilton’s Director of Operations, who presented this sobering picture to council at last week’s meeting with CEO Denise Christopherson and several community partners, says their one-time funding request of $228,000 to operate Carole Anne’s Place between December 2019 and April 2020 was not simply about filling a gap. It’s about drawing attention to a women’s housing crisis in Hamilton that is not going away anytime soon and for which there is no foreseeable solution.

“We have women out there with nowhere to go in the winter months and no solution ahead of us,” said Medora, who points out that YWCA Hamilton and its partners on the Women’s Housing Planning Collaborative have been calling attention to this crisis, but that we need a permanent plan. “As a non-profit we’re looking at the women and saying we have to do something and jump in here. This is about answering a community need and a call to action.”

The funding, $128,000 of which was approved by councillors and $100,000 was provided by community health partners, will support both Carole Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place, as both programs work in tandem with one another. Carole Anne’s Place, which operates seven nights a week, provides women a safe place to sleep, a meal, and connection to health and social services. In the morning, many women opt to use their complimentary bus ticket to travel to Willow’s Place where they can stay warm during the daytime hours.

Days after Cathy and Lindsey weathered the storm in that alcove, they found Carole Anne’s Place, where they slept every single night from December to March of that year. And through support from YWCA Hamilton staff, were eventually set up with their own permanent apartment.

“I’m starting to get our life back together,” says Cathy. “And you know, if it wasn’t for Carole Anne’s Place pushing us and giving us that support and all their energy and all the positivity that they have, I don’t honestly believe that I would be here.”

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News and Events

Remembering Milli Gould

Quick escape link leading to Weather Network websiteQuick Escape Milli Gould poses for a photo with her sons Mark and Ben and YWCA Hamilton CEO Denise Christopherson.

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Milli Gould touched a well-manicured hand to her face and leaned in to listen to Annah Yassin’s story. It was December 2016, graduation day for the YWCA Hamilton’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. And despite having two injured ankles, Milli made certain to be in attendance to meet Annah and her fellow graduates, to offer advice, to hear their stories.

 

Because for Milli, supporting three years of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program through the Milli and Allen Gould Family Foundation also meant offering the priceless gift of her own entrepreneurial experience. A fierce woman who founded and operated her own business in Hamilton and Toronto, Milli watched it thrive for more than 50 years. In fact, it was common to see Milli flanked by admirers at any of our graduation ceremonies, all of which she attended, where she listened, answered questions, inspired.

 

“Because of you, I am building a business to support myself,” said graduate Danielle Clarke in a letter to the fashion icon, who passed away this weekend at the age of 86.

 

Milli Gould chats with a guest at the 2016 Women of Distinction Awards

 

We lost a Hamilton giant. And at YWCA Hamilton, we lost a good friend, too.

 

CEO Denise Christopherson remembers Milli as a woman who seldom wanted to talk about herself or her own accomplishments, and instead wanted to focus on making the community a better place for women and children.

 

“I just remember the joy in her eyes as women talked about the businesses they were planning,” she said. “She always believed that because someone invested in her potential, she would pay it forward and invest in the potential of other women.”

 

YWCA Hamilton is deeply grateful for the support and friendship of Milli Gould who was a catalyst for real change in the lives of so many women. When you invest in a woman, it has a ripple effect across the community, a concept Milli understood more than most. And her legacy will live on in the women entrepreneurs she supported and who, in turn, supported themselves, their families and helped build Hamilton.

 

We encourage our Hamilton community to visit the AGH’s Milli: A Celebration of Style exhibit to experience her journey through life, businesses and fashion.

 

Milli Gould poses for a photo with the Women's Entrepreneurship Program graduates in 2019.

Milli Gould poses for a photo with the Women's Entrepreneurship Program 2018 graduating class.

News and Events

Women’s collective awards $5000 to transform lives

Quick escape link leading to Weather Network websiteQuick Escape YWCA Hamilton Director of Operations Medora Uppal (right) gives a tour of the Transitional Living Program to Turning Point member Charaya Thach, Kathy Hayes and Anne Tennier.

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On a crisp fall evening in late 2018, then-manager of Transitional Housing Violetta Nikolskaya stood before a room of women gathered for the annual Turning Point Giving Circle dinner and presented her case.

Some residents in the Transitional Living Program experience physical and/or emotional barriers to keeping their units clean, she explained. And while on first listen that might not seem like a critical need, consider the consequences of allowing garbage and dirt to collect in one’s personal living quarters. Conditions can quickly deteriorate, can become a health hazard, she explained. And the build-up of clutter can exacerbate an existing mental health condition. A cleaning service that is sensitive to the needs of people living with mental health issues is, in fact, a critical need for YWCA Hamilton’s Transitional Living Program.

“We don’t see this as absolving women from their responsibility of upholding the room,” says Nikolskaya, who was one of four YWCA Hamilton managers to present projects they hoped to see funded. “But we see it as an extension of mental health and we see it as an extension of our therapeutic services that we offer –  that we can help compliment a woman’s own efforts with that of a professional who understands the trauma-informed practice care that needs to go into dealing with such significant room issues.”

Nikolskaya’s presentation won the crowd over and the Transitional Living Program was awarded half the evening’s $5,000 fund to hire Lynda Hykin of The House Purger, who specializes in cleaning the homes of people who live with a hoarding disorder.

The other half of the fund was awarded to training YWCA Hamilton front-line staff in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NCI), a project that was presented by Manager of Health and Wellness Marnie Warman.

“Since Turning Point funding was awarded, there has been one more staff member trained to deliver NCI training,” explained Warman, who says that one staff subsequently trained more staff. “Five sessions were offered in 2019 and a total of 45 new staff have been trained in NCI.

Warman went on to explain that the training helped staff to identify an individual in crisis, as well as know how to support that individual and how to prevent any escalation in behaviour. Warman reports that staff now feel more prepared to serve those in crisis, and it has raised their own self-awareness of their own fears and bias and how it affects caring for our community.

So, what is the Turning Point Giving Circle? It’s a close community of women who believe in YWCA Hamilton’s mission that women and girls must have the rights, resources, and opportunities to shape their own lives and define their communities. Through their donations and advocacy, women in the Turning Point Giving Circle support YWCA Hamilton by collectively deciding how their donated funds are spent.

For more information about YWCA Hamilton’s Turning Point Giving Circle, please contact Heather Barkley at hbarkley@ywcahamilton.org or 905-522-9922 ext. 156.

News and Events

Entrepreneur Josie Rudderham has her cake and eats it too

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Josie Rudderham was heading back to work after the birth of her first child when she was told her job in the mortgage industry no longer existed. It was 2009 and the Canadian economy was struggling. Plus, being a new mom, Josie knew that finding a job would not be an easy task.

“That’s a huge challenge, to get back into the workforce after having a baby,” says Josie. “And if you’re going back to your previous employment, there’s a lot of assumptions made about what you’re going to be like when you come back, which are often very unfair and limiting in terms of working your way up through an organization.”

A trained chef, baker and pastry apprentice from way back, Josie knew she was also a true entrepreneur at heart. So listening to her instincts and researching her options, she ultimately decided that starting her own bakery business was the way to go. She applied to YWCA BizSmart, a program that (eventually became today’s Women in Entrepreneurship Program) supported women in starting their own businesses. And to her surprise, she was called in to present her business idea to a panel of evaluators.

“I remember the day I went to present because I thought, they’re not going to accept me, I don’t know what I’m doing, there’s no way. And I brought food – I think I brought jams and bread, maybe muffins – and everyone was just so nice. And so I have found over the years that feeding people is generally a good way to go.”

Ten years later, Josie and her business partner Nicole Miller have built Cake and Loaf, a local bakery and confectionery that employ 28 staff at two Hamilton locations, into a true destination for both sweet and savory. Not only does Cake and Loaf continually set a new bar for baked goods in Hamilton, the company has been recognized both locally (including Josie’s 2019 Women of Distinction Awards nomination) and at the national level, for its products as well as its social policies.

 

“Time and time again, women are not given the opportunities that men are. And then to be able to access these programs, especially for young women at risk, I think is really important.”

 

Because Josie, who grew up in a family of social workers, makes it a point to work with vendors she knows support community. She makes it a point to pay staff a living wage. She refuses to pay for advertising, instead assigning that money to community giving.

“I want to create a business that will outlast me, but also will have a positive effect every step of the way where I don’t have to feel guilty about what I’m doing for a living, where I know that the dollars we spend are as responsible as they can be,” says Josie, who continues to work with YWCA Hamilton as a mentor and SISTER program employer. “I think the basic business tenet is ‘the nice guy loses’ and it always has to be profit-driven. We just fundamentally disagree with that.”

“I think the YWCA and all of the programs they offer are so important to our city,” continues Josie, who is determined to create great culinary careers that are supportive of women. “Time and time again, women are not given the opportunities that men are. And then to be able to access these programs, especially for young women at risk, I think is really important. And the women we’ve seen come through the SISTER program, for example, are amazing people who just really needed one extra chance.”

 

 

 

Living her best life at YWCA Hamilton South Place

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Nancy Oomen stands in the middle of her cheerily-decorated bedroom and holds up an Anne of Green Gables figurine. It’s her favourite one, she says. The TV shows, the movies, the books – she’s captivated by all of the stories.

 

It’s Anne’s adventurous spirit, her ability to overcome obstacles, as well aslife in the early 1900s that draws Nancy in time and again. And watching the Netflix version of the show on her own television in her own bedroom, Nancy feels fortunate to live in this era, in a comfortable home with people who care about her.

 

But it makes sense that Nancy, who travels on her own by city bus to and from spots around Hamilton, would identify so closely with Anne. Because at 45, Nancy embarked on her own big adventure when she moved out of her parents’ home and into YWCA Hamilton’s South Place. Living independently for the first time, she wanted to make sure her room was a true expression of her personality. So she carefully arranged Anne of Green Gables figurines on the window ledge, on her dresser, on wall shelves near the pottery pieces she’s painted during excursions to Crock a Doodle in Stoney Creek.

 

Because, as it turns out, Nancy is an artist. She discovered her talent for creative arts through Y’Art classes at the YWCA Hamilton, through jewellery-making classes, and through painting classes at the Dundas Valley School of Art. Once she started exploring her own independent interests, there’s been no stopping the steady stream of art Nancy creates and that graces the walls of the bungalow she shares with two other housemates, under the supervision of a YWCA Hamilton developmental services staff.

 

“The staff give me some space, not always watching everything I do,” says Nancy, who has learned coping and calming strategies like problem-solving, self-talk and writing in her journal. She’s learned to take space from a problem, to be mindful, to think about how she’s feeling, to deal with each issue on its own as it arises.

 

And, of course, staff member Heather’s macaroni and cheese with crumbly bits on top helps, too. It’s Nancy’s favourite meal and one she looks forward to after a day of adventuring or even working at the part-time job she’s held for more than a decade.

 

“I see my parents on a weekly basis. We go to church every Wednesday and Sunday. I have lunch at their house on Sundays after church. I keep in contact with my sister and brother. We talk on the phone, text and visit each other. We also go on vacation together. I’ve been to Texas, Sudbury and Cancun, Mexico with my family.”

Meet Women of Distinction Awards recipients HERE