On behalf of the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness, a heartfelt thank you to all who donated to our annual fundraiser for Ernestine's Women's Shelter ahead of the holiday break. We managed to slightly surpass our goal this year, and raised a total of $2,100 in support of this important local partner.

The spirit of giving is very much alive within the Humber community, and that kindness and generosity is incredibly appreciated by the team at Ernestine's.

What We Do

Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter is a community-based feminist organization run by women that provides support and shelter for women and children escaping abuse and violence. Ernestine’s is a 32-bed emergency shelter with 14 private bedrooms.

We provide a home for the women and their children – who stay with us from six months to over one year – until we find appropriate housing for them. During their stay, we provide them with all the necessities they might need (new bedding, clothes, school supplies, toiletries, baby supplies, prescriptions not covered by OHIP, loaded Presto cards, and anything else they might need). 

In the last year, Ernestine’s provided shelter and support to 52 adults and 33 children, who called Ernestine’s their home.

In addition to shelter clients, we support over 600 women and children from across the GTA through our Outreach Program. We provide counselling services and programs as well as access to the shelter’s on-site donation rooms and food bank to our Outreach clients. 

In 2020, Ernestine’s offered lifelines to 269 adults and 355 children in the community through our Outreach Programs. In the same year, 252 adults and 344 children were serviced as a result of the 735 times Ernestine’s food support services were accessed. This is a 70% increase in number of families who received food support. 

We provide a range of holistic services to our shelter and Outreach clients. Our services and programs include 24-hour crisis assistance, individual and group-based counselling support, Child & Youth programs, as well as legal, housing, and immigration support and advocacy. 

Since we opened our doors in 1983, we have supported over 15,000 women and children.