Dear Queen Street East neighbours,

Almost 20 years ago, we moved our Nellie’s administrative and community outreach offices into the storefront at 754 Queen St. E. We didn’t know any of you yet but it didn’t take long for you all to become more than just our neighbours, you became our friends and amongst our greatest supporters.

We don’t need to tell you that, at Nellie’s, we are so much more than a bed for the women and their children who need us. Government funding gives us a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in and other basics necessities, but it’s you, our generous friends and neighbours, that make our essential outreach programs and services possible. It’s because of every one of you that we can run learning and support programs both in our shelter and for families and single women in our community.

There were those of you who have donated beautiful items or gift cards from your stores and restaurants for our fundraising auctions. And, there were those of you who have offered complimentary spa and massage services to both our dedicated front-line staff and our shelter residents. Some of you have even hosted your own fundraising events, just to benefit us. Even during these tough pandemic times, when your businesses were forced to close for months on end, you have continued to be there for us, making sure that the women and their children who come to Nellie’s have everything they need.

Then there were those of you who would simply buy an extra bag of diapers for us when buying one for your own little ones. And, it still makes us smile every time we think of how often someone knocked on our door, arms full of non-perishable foods, to drop off a “a little something” to stock our food program shelves.

And then there’s those of you who have partnered with us to help us better serve those who need us. Mustard Seed, your programs have helped our clients grow, learn and flourish. And, Ralph Thornton Community Centre, you’ve always had space for us—whether we were running a community program or hosting a community holiday party, we knew we could count on you for the perfect venue.  And thank you, for making space for our food program to stay in this community as we move to our new neighbourhood.

While we are sad to be leaving all of you, we are excited by what the future holds for Nellie’s. For the families who live here, Nellie’s is more than a shelter—it’s their home. The new Nellie’s shelter has 40 beds spread out over 22 bedrooms (compared to the 36 beds in 9 bedrooms in our current shelter) and 20 bathrooms. It means greater privacy for residents, and it’s large enough that we can bring our administrative and community outreach offices under the same roof, bringing us all together again.

While we may be leaving, we aren’t moving far—only over to Pape Avenue—so please, don’t be strangers.

With much love,

Nellie’s