Monday, July 21, 2014
My Sisters' Place
My Sisters' Place Launches Elevator, Making All Programs Fully Accessible
Last month, the staff, women, supporters and community at My Sisters’ Place launched the first elevator trip to the fully accessible third floor today in the newly renovated home located on Dundas Street.
After almost a year of renovations, My Sisters’ Place is pleased to offer all programs to women experiencing the complexities of homelessness, mental health, trauma, abuse, violence, poverty and hunger in a fully accessible home. Each day 120-150 women visit My Sisters’ Place to access a range of supports including life skills programs, art therapy, self-compassion, foot care, financial literacy, music and to connect with over 30 community partners on site.
“Through the generous support of our community, women who visit My Sisters’ Place can now fully access all our programs throughout the house. This includes our Nurse Practitioner Clinic and many groups and activities that will be able to use the third floor. Completing this project has demonstrated to many of the most vulnerable women in our community that their needs and dreams matter.” Susan Macphail, Director of My Sisters’ Place and Women’s Mental Health Resources at CMHA Middlesex
With the addition of the elevator, My Sisters’ Place has almost doubled the capacity for programming including the previously unused third floor. Included will be a new and expanded Nurse Practitioner clinic with space generously funded by the Lutheran Social Services Foundation.
The completed capital campaign was a $1,000,000 project including the restoration of the heritage coach house on the property to be used by the Micro Enterprise program Artisans and the addition of the elevator to the former Buchan House. The campaign was generously supported by a special fundraising initiative coordinated by Joe Carapella (The Tricar Group) and Steve Copp (Copp’s Buildall), 100 Women Who Care, the Sisters of St. Joseph, Lloyd Needham and many other generous friends of My Sisters’ Place.
The Government of Canada contributed $240,000 through a Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund grant and the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario, accompanied by Susan Truppe, Member of Parliament for London North Centre brought greetings at the official launch.
Also the Ontario Trillium Foundation contributed $100,000 towards the elevator project. A leading grantmaker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.
The capital renovations were completed by the experienced, generous and supportive staff at Allied Construction, to whom we will always be grateful for making this dream a reality for all the women at My Sisters’ Place.
The capital campaign was chaired by Glen Pearson (Former Member of Parliament) and Lynn Blumas (Micro Enterprise Coordinator) and included volunteers from across the community and women from My Sisters’ Place who worked tirelessly to raise funds to support this project over two years.
This project was made possible through the generous donation of 566 Dundas Street to be used by My Sisters’ Place by the Bird Family in 2009.
“Having a fully accessible building at My Sisters’ Place has been a dream since the program moved in to the former Buchan House in 2009. We are grateful to our community for supporting this project that will improve the lives of many women experiencing the complexities of homelessness and mental health issues.” Claudia Mior-Eckel, Board Chair of Canadian Mental Health Association – Middlesex
My Sisters’ Place is a program of CMHA Middlesex that supports women experiencing the complexities of homelessness, mental health, trauma, abuse, violence, poverty and hunger. The program aims to support women to find and keep affordable housing and to provide mental health supports in a safe, empowering community.
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