About Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter
Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter was opened in 1983 by a group of community members who saw a need for a safe place for women and children fleeing violence and abuse.
Since then we have embraced trans women as women, and we have also broadened our mandate to welcome Two-Spirit, non-binary and gender diverse people and trans men fleeing violence and abuse.
Energetic • Community Minded • Supportive • Dedicated
The founders were pleased to name the shelter after Ernestine van Marle, a local community activist who gave them support and guidance as they began the shelter, and continued to support the shelter’s efforts in ending violence against women and children until her passing in 2006. Ernestine embodied all the characteristics that our shelter aspires towards: energetic, community-minded, supportive, and dedicated
OUR MISSION
Why We Exist
Ernestine’s is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, crisis intervention and shelter to Women, Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-binary and Gender Diverse individuals and their children experiencing violence. Our services are evidence-informed and driven by values of inclusion, anti-racism, anti-oppression and respect. We seek to interrupt violence through education and advocacy for social justice.
What We Do: Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter
Ernestine’s is a 32-bed emergency shelter with 14 private bedrooms. We provide a home for individuals and their children – with the average stay being 5 months – until we find appropriate housing for them. During their stay, we provide them with all the necessities they might need (new bedding, clothes, school supplies, toiletries, baby supplies, prescriptions not covered by OHIP, loaded Presto cards, and anything else they might need).
In addition to shelter clients, we support over 600 adults and children from across the GTA through our Outreach Program. The shelter’s Outreach clients have access to counselling services and programs as well as the shelter’s on-site donation rooms and food bank.
We provide a range of holistic services to our shelter and Outreach clients. Our services and programs include 24-hour crisis assistance, individual and group-based counselling support, skills exchange programs, as well as legal, housing, and immigration support and advocacy.
Since we opened our doors in 1983, we have supported over 15,000 individuals and children.
Anti- Black Racism Policy and Anti- Indigenous Racism Policy
At Ernestine’s, we are deeply committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment where everyone—participants, employees, management, board directors, volunteers, students, and visitors—can work, volunteer, and access our programs without encountering Anti-Black Racism or Anti-Indigenous Racism.
Operating within an intersectional feminist anti-racism and anti-oppression framework, Ernestine’s acknowledges our role as a settler organization and our responsibility to act in solidarity with Indigenous communities. We strive to decolonize our institutions and ourselves, recognizing that the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples is crucial to achieving liberation and ending violence against gender-marginalized individuals.
Similarly, we are dedicated to confronting and dismantling Anti-Black Racism within our organization and the broader community. Our commitment extends to challenging systemic inequities and fostering a space where every individual is respected and valued.
For more details on our policies and practices, please click the button below.
Strategic Priorities
Ernestine’s strategic planning process started in 2019, and its priorities have been identified and approved through a rigorous, consultative process. They build on the successes of the Ernestine’s 2014-2017 plan, which focused on: Partnerships, Education, and Financial Sustainability. These strategic priorities will guide our planning for programs and services, and assist our team members in prioritizing Ernestine’s operational activities.
Grow Our Revenue
Improve our resilience by expanding and enhancing revenue sources and strategies.
Assess current fundraising approaches for efficiency and effectiveness and explore new opportunities for generating sustainable revenue. Includes identifying how to strengthen the relationship with funders (e.g. via communication, reporting, recognition).
Measure Our Impact
Transition to evidence-informed service delivery.
Establish metrics to assess the effectiveness of our practices, and collect data to improve our knowledge about what drives results, and ensure the most effective mobilization of resources. Includes developing new policies and practices based on results, working with the VAW sector on benchmarking opportunities and possibly publishing our research.
Expand Our Reach
Embrace the full diversity of victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
Audit our practices, expand our mission statement and research ways to improve our inclusivity, particularly with respect to people identifying as 2SLGBTQ+, racialized, indigenous, or having disabilities. Includes developing and executing a plan to implement changes in our policies and practices, as well as community education.