Much of what we all love about the holidays is out of reach for many families in Toronto. A safe place to call home. An abundant meal shared with others. A loving family. But EHM works hard during the holidays to change this.
The Drop In Centre is more than a place to warm up and have a meal, it is a safe place where someone can make friends, or even build a chosen family for themselves. It is a place where someone can escape the noise and stress of the streets and sit with a cup of coffee and talk with someone who knows their name and asks how they are doing. It is more than a place of refuge, it is a place where one can find hope, and belonging.
The 160 tenants who live in the Adelaide Street residence and in Portland Place have more than just an apartment – they have a home. It is warm and safe. It may be a place of peace and quiet, or it may be a place filled with voices, music, and laughter. It might be a place shared with a furry friend. Everyone’s apartment looks different on the inside, but what all tenants share in common is this – it is their home, and they go to sleep every night knowing that when they wake up, it will still be their home.
And EHM is more than just a building with services, it is a community. It is a gathering place where volunteers can give back, and where students can learn. It is where neighbours help each other, to plant a garden, to feed a pet, or to sit a play a boardgame.
Because of your generosity, EHM can make all of these things possible, not just at Christmas, but all year round. When you make your gift this season, know that you are not just helping to fund a meal, but you are helping to create a hopeful tomorrow, to everyone who walks through EHM’s doors.
Merry Christmas and thank you from everyone at EHM!