YWCA Niagara Region

10/12/2026

We are spending our Thanksgiving feeling thankful for our YWCA Niagara Region community. Everything we have done and everyone we have supported, was made possible because of YOU.

By sharing your time, donating when possible, attending YWCA events, spreading our messages and showing your kindness, you are helping to provide safety, shelter, and support to those in our community who need it most. Because of your support, 282 women, children and gender-diverse individuals are spending their Thanksgiving warm, fed, and full of hope.

We thank each and every one of you for the unconditional support you have shown us. We are endlessly grateful to call you our community. 🩷🦃

10/10/2026

October 10 is World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day. While both mental health and homelessness are often seen and discussed as uniquely distinct struggles, the two very frequently go hand in hand.

Experiencing homelessness or housing instability also means enduring the mental toll of navigating extreme hardships, facing stigmatization, and inadequate living conditions. On the other side, experiencing mental health difficulties can hinder your ability to find or maintain stable housing or work, creating an ongoing cycle.

For many of the women, families, and gender-diverse individuals we support, being housed means more than just having a place to live. It's having a place they feel safe, secure, and comfortable. It's a place they can start to heal, rebuild themselves, regain confidence, and finally feel like they can start to thrive instead of focusing on just surviving.

We are dedicated to ensuring that every woman, child, and gender-diverse individual who comes through our doors is given shelter, but also the support, stability, and resources needed to navigate the mental health challenges they may face.

10/06/2026

Oakdale’s outdoor seating area received a HUGE makeover last week, thanks to a few amazing volunteers. They were able to completely transform this space from an overgrown and windswept area to a relaxing and warm seating space for our clients to properly enjoy.

Not only was this incredibly generous of them to do, but it was also incredibly well thought out with intention behind every decision. They replaced our fast-growing bushes that love growing out around the benches, with slower growing bushes that tend to keep their shape better. The mulch that loved to move with the wind and end up all over the ground was replaced by larger rocks, to keep their shape ground space fee of dirt and debris.

Changes like this may not seem like a big deal, but these are the differences that shape the day-to-day lives of those staying at Oakdale. While our old outdoor area was pretty, these changes help to better ensure the space stays clean and accessible for our clients. (Plus, we think the new arrangement looks EXCEPTIONAL)

A big thank you to those who volunteered to redo our outdoor seating area, and for the intention and thoughtful consideration that was put into making our space complete. 🩷💙

10/03/2026

The Katey Marie Campbell Fund fills gaps that other funding simply can't, and we couldn't be more thankful. It gives us the flexibility to respond to the real needs of women staying at our Culp Street residence, often at the moments it matters most.

Thank you to Helga Campbell for continuing Katey's legacy through this meaningful fund. Over the years, the Katey Marie Campbell Fund has helped us support countless guests in ways that would not otherwise be possible like transportation, medical needs, and so many more. We are incredibly grateful for its lasting impact.

Helga Campbell and Elisabeth Zimmermann at our Niagara Falls shelter. Helga Campbell

10/01/2026

October marks Women's History month in Canada and we want to take this month to celebrate the women of the YWCA Niagara Region's history who came together and dared to change the community. The women who stood before us fought to support one another, and stood up in the face of adversity to push the boundaries and fight for equality.

The women of our history advocated for women to have job skills, be a part of the political sphere, have autonomy over their own bodies, to receive equal pay, and to live their lives the way they want too; without facing backlash for doing so as a woman.

While there is still much needed work to be done, we celebrate the achievements, successes, and advancements made by the women in our history. The women of the YWCA Niagara Region's history are the reason we are here today, and the reason we continue to fight for an equitable society where women and families thrive. 🩷🩵

09/30/2026

As an organization approaching 100 years in Niagara, we've been reflecting a lot on history, what has changed, and what still very much needs to change - and there's a lot.

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour Survivors, remember the children who never returned home, and recognize the lasting impacts of residential schools on Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities.

We're also thinking about the Indigenous partners, organizations, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members who continue to lead, teach, and advocate throughout our region. We are incredibly grateful for the relationships we've built and for the trust, knowledge, and guidance they've shared with us. We especially admire and highly recommend following the Niagara Regional Native Centre , Niagara Chapter - Native Women Inc. , Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre and the many Indigenous leaders working every single day to strengthen community and create culturally safer spaces across Niagara.

Reconciliation isn't something we can accomplish alone. It happens through relationships, through listening, and through showing up consistently.

Today, we encourage our community to support Indigenous organizations, attend local events, learn from Indigenous voices, and take time to reflect on the role each of us can play in advancing reconciliation. There are so many options to choose from - pick at least one.

As we look back on nearly a century of service in Niagara, we know that acknowledging history is only one small part of the work. Building a more equitable future requires action, accountability, and a commitment to learning every single day. The work continues tomorrow, and every day after. 🧡

09/29/2026

We are so grateful to community partner organizations like this one for always choosing to go above and beyond! Their long-time support helps to ensure people are fed, safe, and happy in our shelters :)

Can I please thank all those that sponsored a case of cereal to the YWCA Culp & King street women's shelter.
I was able to drop of 50 cartons of assorted cereals.
Not many people know that the YWCA is the LARGEST sheltering system from coast to coast to coast across Canada.
They do not discriminate and try to provide comfort and shelter to any in need no matter whom they are. ❤️

09/25/2026

From September 25–27, your everyday shopping trip can make twice the difference. When you shop at and round up your total at checkout, your donation will be matched by , up to $150,000. Your support helps YWCA Niagara Region provide shelter and safety to women and children experiencing intimate partner violence.

Shop. Round up. Double your impact.

Check out one of the nine different locations donating proceeds to us!








& Shoppers Linwell!

09/22/2026

This week is Gender Equality Week in Canada, but for us, every week is gender equality week.

Every week, we celebrate the wins and achievements of our female and gender diverse clients. Achievements such as learning a new skill, rebuilding support systems, and getting a new job.

Every week, we address the challenges more commonly experienced by women and gender diverse individuals facing homelessness. Challenges such as managing your period, keeping yourself safe from exploitative or violent situations, and, if you have children, providing for and protecting them.

Every week, we encourage everyone we can reach to stay informed and vigilant in the fight for equality. Encouraging the general public to learn more, encouraging people with the power to make decisions to reflect on how decisions can impact genders differently, encouraging women to fight for themselves, and encouraging others to support in any way they can.

This Gender Equality week, we take the time to celebrate those who have took a stand and supported the progression of gender equality in Canada. We address challenges, barriers, and gaps that still persist, and address what we can do in removing them. This week, we also encourage you to do the same. Celebrate the women and gender diverse individuals around you and their achievements. Address challenges you notice in your life, and encourage others around you to stay engaged. 🩵🩷

09/21/2026

Our friends at NIAGARA REALTORS® decided to start off their Realtors Care week by visiting our emergency shelter and absolutely pampering our front and back yards. We are beyond grateful for the support we have received, and the helping hands that have contributed to making our spaces more welcoming and comfortable.💙 🩷

From w**d pulling to laying down mulch to cutting dead branches out of the bushes, this amazing group seriously did IT ALL. This team truly demonstrates what it means to be apart of a community, and we cannot thank you enough for coming out to help support women, children and families experiencing homelessness within the Niagara Region community.