Homefull Toronto Campaign

Homefull Toronto Campaign

The challenges of homelessness are compounded by the lingering effects of the pandemic and the current economic environment – skyrocketing costs of living and the worst inflation Canada has experienced in more than 30 years. This perfect storm is forcing increasingly vulnerable people into impossible situations, increased substance usage and unraveling mental health. While these current conditions may impact specific neighbourhoods, which are comprised of a diverse population, one group is disproportionately at risk: seniors.

Toronto’s senior population has more than doubled in the last 5 years, with many living on fixed incomes and navigating multiple barriers to accessing age-appropriate supports, including housing.

Seniors experiencing homelessness struggle more than any other homeless population with deteriorating physical health, social isolation and loneliness, estrangement from family, limited mobility, substance use challenges, threats of violence and daily trauma.

Being housed is an important and necessary first step. However, to be Homefull, seniors need more than a roof over their heads. In our experience, residents who lack adequate support, programs and community are unable to maintain their housing; these social and economic ingredients are what gives this community the opportunity to heal and thrive.

We have set forth a campaign, Homefull Toronto, to help by impacting the three main challenges seniors face:

(1) Food Security – Many vulnerable seniors lack access to healthy meals. They may also lack knowledge on budgeting, nutrition, healthy cooking, safe food storage and need practical help with grocery shopping. Our solution will include, but is not limited to:

a. Build an on-site commercial kitchen to provide our senior clients’ direct access to healthy meals without the barriers of grocery shopping, affordability of food and meal prep.

b. Host nutrition and recipe workshops including tips for storage & purchasing.

c. Facilitate workshops for budgeting, financial literacy and choosing healthier food options.

(2) Healthcare Access – Many seniors have ongoing physical and mental health struggles that require access to healthcare. They need to know who can help them and how to access these services. Our solution will include, but is not limited to:

a. Develop specialized teams to assist seniors with accessing primary healthcare both virtual and in person. Accompany seniors to appointments, support around medication schedules, arrange specialized services such as Personal Support Workers and provide regular wellness checks.

(3) Social Connection – More than anything, hope is found in community. Many seniors struggle to find friendship and community and rapidly evolving technologies can be intimidating and inaccessible, further inhibiting their connection to family. Supporting our seniors in finding connections, either through virtual resources or in-person communities, is essential to increasing their quality of life. And reducing social isolation. Our solution will include, but is not limited to:

a. Host digital literacy workshops to increase virtual socialization and connectivity to help with issues like reconnecting with family and friends.

b. Provide workshops to increase understanding of online services such as banking, grocery shopping and accessing government documents.

c. Increase partnerships with seniors’ activities in the area to provide affordable and free physical activity and social programs for clients.

d. Build community through enhanced on-site social and recreation programming.

Our goal is to raise $2,000,000 over the course of this 12-month campaign; we are over 50% towards are target, as the Sprott Foundation recently awarded Homes First with a $1,000,000 donation towards food security to build the Commercial Kitchen for the Centralized Food Program (CFP)].

To find out more about CFP, or to find out more about how you can help, please visit our website.

Help us in the pursuit of our mission by donating here.