News

House of Friendship Working with Region of Waterloo to Place All Shelter Participants by Dec. 1. Since announcing the upcoming temporary closure of its shelter program effective Nov. 30, House of Friendship has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community care and support. “It has been encouraging to hear from so many people who have […]

STATEMENT – NOV. 5, 2021 We informed our shelter staff this week that at the end of this month, House of Friendship’s Shelter will temporarily close for the first time in its 82-year history.  The closure will happen Nov. 30 because we will no longer have a location to provide our shelter services and Sheltercare.  […]

When co-founders Bob Shantz, Richard Dyck and John Unruh joined forces to create the first-ever Friendship Golf tournament, they set in motion the opportunity to Play with Purpose at an event that has now raised more than $1-million to support those who are homeless. This means you have helped thousands and thousands of men finding […]

A partnership between the Region of Waterloo, Sanguen Health Services, Stonehenge Therapeutic Services, and House of Friendship will make it easier for those struggling with addiction to get the help they need. In May, House of Friendship’s Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic (RAAM) began providing service one day a week at Kitchener’s Consumption and Treatment […]

Hockey Helps the Homeless Waterloo Region is continuing to face off against homelessness! In spite of the pandemic, this volunteer committee achieved a record year and will be sharing the proceeds from this year’s virtual Hockey Helps the Homeless Canada Life Cup – an amazing $322,000 – with Waterloo Region’s shelters, including House of Friendship! […]

Wayne joins the main Zoom call and watches students of all ages flicker to life on his screen.  He is a virtual tutor with the Sunnydale Community Centre.  The program, called Homework Club, used to take place in person, but moved online at the beginning of the pandemic.  Each student is paired up with their […]

Katy Robinson has made charitable giving a priority – and it was a lot easier than she thought it would be. The 27-year-old became inspired to give after hearing a sermon from her pastor that pointed out there is never a good time to start giving. As an engineer who works in construction in downtown […]

It’s been two months since a fire at our Shelter program took place in the Tower at the Inn of Waterloo. We’re grateful for the incredible show of support from Waterloo Region during this challenging time and want to take the time to provide a community update. Right after the Shelter fire, the program experienced […]

It took a simple conversation between neighbours to create a new program at Sunnydale Community Centre – one that is bringing the community a little bit closer. Since last summer, a group of non-Arabic speaking community members have been taking the time to learn Arabic. The best part? It’s being taught by their neighbours. The […]

Mya used to find it difficult to speak up when she was in a group. A little bit shy and lacking in confidence, Mya would usually let others speak first. Not anymore. Mya, 17, isn’t afraid to take on leadership roles and community projects – thanks to the encouragement she’s received along the way. Your […]