Empowering women in our community
Empowering women in our community
Every year, Nellie’s supports hundreds of women and their children in the wider community by sharing opportunities and resources that support them as they build a brighter future. Here’s how our Community Support & Outreach programs make a difference.
Food Bank
Our Food Bank program provides fresh, frozen, and packaged foods for women and their families experiencing food insecurity. We serve 120+ families every week from the East End United Regional Ministry on the Danforth near Broadview Ave.
It’s a lifeline for a wide variety of people in our community, from moms trying to make ends meet, to seniors living on a very limited fixed income, to women with disabilities facing financial barriers.
With food donations from Second Harvest and generous support from donors that keeps our own non-perishable food pantry stocked, we are able to provide every family with a basket full of nourishing foods. Plus, we cover TTC fares for clients, ensuring transit costs are never a barrier to accessing the program.
To find out how to access our Food Bank, please contact community@nellies.org.
Senior Socialization
Our Senior Socialization Program creates opportunities for connection and learning for seniors living in our community. Aimed at reducing loneliness and isolation, the program offers visits to Toronto attractions, digital literacy tutoring, and yoga classes focused on breathwork and light stretching. These activities enable seniors to make friends, enjoy new experiences, and develop their skills in a supportive environment.
Women Ending Abuse and Violence (WEAV)
This five-week program is designed to teach women how to keep themselves safe in relationships. It’s a welcoming space where women can learn about the spectrum of abuse, spot signs of unhealthy relationships, and understand common terminology like gaslighting and love bombing.
The aim is for participants to feel empowered to seek the positive relationships they deserve and challenge things when they aren’t right. By sharing knowledge and building confidence, we can continue disrupting the cycle of systemic violence and oppression against women and their children.
Women on the Move
This twice-monthly program is designed to address the gap in services for women
with physical disabilities who have experienced abuse. It provides an opportunity for women to come together and chat in a safe space with their peers.
Co-led and developed by Lucy DaCosta, a long-time facilitator in the disability advocacy space, the program features educational workshops, special activities like healing art projects, and social outings to attractions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Empowerment Workshops
Nellie’s has adapted its empowerment programs, bringing them to community centres and schools, because everyone deserves the opportunity to feel empowered and equipped to defend themselves.
Our staff has adapted the world-renowned Rock and Water program into a powerful school workshop. Through physical activities and play, we teach kids about setting their own boundaries, making independent decisions, using communication, and respecting others’ limits — essential skills they need to build healthy relationships throughout their life.
Meanwhile, our Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) community workshop teaches women how to proactively prevent, respond to, and heal from violent events. Focused on empowering women to use their voice, ESD also teaches de-escalation techniques and ways to leave a situation quickly.
Do you want to join one of our Community Support & Outreach Programs?
Nellie’s is always adding new programs. To learn more, please contact community@nellies.org.