Stories to Share

At Sweet Beginnings, we shared how Shelter is being transformed through the ShelterCare model. We have seen incredible results that have captured national attention: overdoses reduced by 50%, 75% reduction in EMS calls, and 56 men housed in six month! ShelterCare is working! With integrated health-care and other supports, men have become healthier and housing […]

You’ve heard the highlights in local media – now we want to share with you the inside scoop on why ShelterCare is now getting National attention! We are learning so much every single day. It’s now clear that ShelterCare can be the triage for those who are homeless and help individuals exit the cycle of […]

For Shelley Holmes, giving back is part of her heritage. Shelley, who has served at House of Friendship for more than 27 years, grew up in a family that made sure that others had what they needed. “I always remembered what my mom used to tell me: if you’re living, breathing and you’ve got enough […]

It wasn’t a typical summer for children in Waterloo Region – but camp still happened for many of them, thanks to you! While camp this year looked a little different, children living in low-income neighbourhoods still had the chance to connect, to learn, and grow through an innovative mix of in-person and virtual camp sessions […]

For Cory, his new role as Community Development Worker at House of Friendship feels like he is coming home. In a way, he is. As a child, Cory lived in affordable housing in Cambridge, near Greenway Chaplin Community Centre. There, his family received help from Patti, a Family Outreach Worker – who still has this […]

Eric Pidgen has a very special reason for volunteering with House of Friendship. That’s because when he was only 11, he stayed in a shelter with his mom and sister when his parents were struggling in their marriage. “It was such a shock when I was a kid – there was so much change at […]

Today, we celebrate you! Your support over the past three years of our Close to Home story has been incredible. You’ve been with us every step of the way, through all of the challenges, setbacks, and updated vision. Because of you, men, women and families will have the addiction treatment services they need in their […]

Soon after House of Friendship’s Men’s Shelter moved to a local hotel, Shelter Supervisor Sheridan Parker noticed something amazing. “I could see the guys who had been staying here at the hotel, and how well rested and healthy they looked, compared to new men arriving a few weeks later. It was incredible.” The COVID-19 pandemic […]

It still doesn’t seem real to Chris. He has a home of his own, for the first time in years – thanks to you! Chris, an amputee who has served in the military, has spent the last two-and-a-half years looking for an accessible apartment that he could afford. While he was waiting, Chris stayed at […]

It was a chance encounter, a moment that changed everything. A woman in despair found the support she so desperately needed at our Emergency Food Hampers program. It was a normal day for House of Friendship staff Wanda Zimmerman, who had just finished helping a family. She had given one of the children a little […]