As a construction executive, Nancy Mrazek has been leading complex projects in Canada and the U.S. for over 25 years.

“As a woman in a male-dominated environment, I have learned to speak up to be respected and heard throughout my career,” says Nancy, 51, who is currently an Associate Vice President at TD leading the Canadian Corporate and Retail portfolio of projects for TD Bank. “I recognize that not everyone has had the opportunities that I have had.”

It’s that drive and her leadership expertise that inspired her to join the Nellie’s Board of Directors in a governance capacity in September 2021.

“It’s so important to me to give my time in a way that makes a difference. Helping your community is not just about giving financial donations, it’s about doing what you can to be a better member of the community. It is an amazing opportunity for me to be able to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Since becoming a board member, she has already joined the Strategic Development Committee and has put her construction industry expertise into practice by offering guidance and advice to help us navigate the final stages of our new shelter’s renovations. The building, with its 40 beds over 22 bedrooms and ample program spaces and common areas, has faced multiple pandemic-related construction and supply chain delays. Our move-in date is now scheduled for later this winter.

Nancy is also an active member of TD committees, including Women In Leadership, and she mentors black executives through the Black Experience Network. At Nellie’s, she and her fellow board members are responsible for legal and financial oversight, focusing on policy and strategy. The board looks five or more years down the line and is responsible for ensuring the organizational structure is in place so our staff can meet the complex and evolving client needs of both today, and tomorrow.

“We fill a critical gap in our community. Ideally, we shouldn’t ever have to have women and their children needing this kind of support but there is a need for it and that’s why I want to help fill this important role,” says Nancy.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing, though, if we didn’t have to have these kinds of conversations?”

Thank you, Nancy, for your time and service to Nellie’s.

For almost 50 years, Nellie’s has provided shelter, dignity and hope to women and their children. As a community-based feminist organization, which operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework, we are committed to social change through education and advocacy to achieve social justice for all women and their children.

Collectively, we help #BreakTheBias, which happens to be the 2022 International Women’s Day theme.

IWD is celebrated every year in Canada, and in countries around the world, on March 8. It is a day to celebrate inclusivity and diversity by ensuring that no woman is left behind, excluded or silenced. No one government, charity, NGO, corporation, school, women’s network or media outlet is solely responsible for International Women’s Day. The day belongs to all women around the world and is about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action—whatever that looks like globally and at local levels.

It’s more important now than ever to move toward gender justice: the pandemic has led to unprecedent challenges these past two years, with rising rates of domestic violence, increased caregiving demands and widening poverty gaps. It’s been even more difficult for women and gender-diverse people who have faced additional barriers due to racism, immigration status, ableism and financial instability.

At Nellie’s, we work hard to #BreakTheBias every day. Through our client care, recruiting practices and advocacy efforts, we proudly stich the conversation about gender roles and gender equality into the very fabric of our practices, programs and services.

Every job posting, for example, includes the following statement: Nellie’s is committed to the development of an agency that reflects the women it serves. This position is open to all women*. Woman* signifies anyone who self-identifies as female, femme and/or woman. This includes transwomen, cisgender women, non-binary people who identify as femme or female presenting.

And now that we are settling into our beautiful new shelter (after it underwent over two years of construction and renovations), we can do even more. With 40 beds spread out over 22 bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, family units and single women no longer have to share bedrooms with other family units or single women. They have the privacy and safe space they need to work through their trauma and take the steps that are right for them toward the next chapter in their lives. In common areas, all washrooms are gender-neutral, making transwomen and non-binary people feel safer, and more welcomed, in our space.

“The new shelter building will allow us to treat women and their children fleeing violence and homelessness with the dignity they deserve,” says Jyoti Singh, Nellie’s executive director, at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

#BreakTheBias! Help us stand alongside all women and their children as they take positive steps toward the next chapter in their lives. To make a secure online donation, please visit our donation page.

It’s been a long road to our beautiful new shelter; a road we first started travelling over a decade ago. After looking at 16 other sites, we finally landed on the perfect building—a large, charming Victorian home. Thanks to a generous capital investment from the provincial government, we purchased it in July 2019.

But while the building may have been perfect for our needs, it was in less than perfect shape.

“It was actually in very rough shape and somewhat derelict,” says Steve Hilditch, Principal at Hilditch Architect Inc., the firm that saw our vision and designed the space.

“It had an unusual history. At some point, work had started on it without a permit and then stopped. Parts of it were demolished, some of the heritage elements had been taken out and squatters had been living in it for a period of time,” says Steve. “The building has a grandeur to it that you don’t often find these days but it was difficult to see the vision back then.”

Hilditch Architect Inc. has worked almost exclusively with non-profit agencies and municipal governments for over 35 years to create projects that help people break barriers to health and community services, and to affordable supportive housing and emergency shelter. Steve says there’s a lot of disparity in our society and it’s essential for the design of shelters like Nellie’s to physically support clients.

“It’s important for the women and their children who pass through this shelter to feel like their lives are valued,” says Steve.

The new shelter building has an old-world charm with a modern contemporary twist thanks to a newer addition attached to the Victorian building. It is 21,800 sq. ft., compared to the old shelter’s 8,900 sq. ft. footprint. Yet, it still feels cozy and welcoming with 40 beds spread out over 22 bedrooms, compared to 36 beds in 9 bedrooms in the old shelter building. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom (four of which are barrier-free), a design feature Steve is most proud of. Many shelters, he says, have dorm-style rooms with bathrooms down the hall, giving residents little privacy as they work through very difficult issues and traumas in a shared space.

“For Nellie’s, we wanted to have a model where every family unit had their own space. Having your own room with your own bathroom gives people dignity,” says Steve. In common areas, all washrooms are gender-neutral, making transwomen and non-binary people feel safer, and more welcomed, in the space.

Aside from the heritage elements, the program space nestled up in the third floor, complete with elegant sloped ceilings, is one of Steve’s favourite design features. On this floor, there are age-specific safe spaces, including a quiet room, several play areas, a youth breakout room, and more. They are warm and welcoming spaces, perfect for everything from play, to learning, to meditation or group work.

The shelter is also pet-friendly, meaning women and their children fleeing abuse, trauma and homelessness don’t have to make the difficult decision to leave their pet behind when they come to live at Nellie’s. And because each family unit has their own room, their pet can stay with them at all times. There is also a pet care room and a green space where pets (and kids!) have space to play.

“It all ties back to the fact that each family has their own space,” says Steve. “You don’t want to be in a situation where your dog is with you but because you are living in a shared space, your dog has to stay in a kennel. The fact that a pet can stay in the room and not trouble anyone else provides that extra level of dignity to the women and their children who come to Nellie’s.”

Thank you, Steve and Hilditch Architect Inc. for designing a beautiful and welcoming space for the women and their children at Nellie’s. We are so grateful to be in our new home.

TORONTO, ON – (November 30, 2021) —For almost half a century, Nellie’s has sheltered women and their children fleeing violence and homelessness in a beautiful historic residential building. But what was designed as a space for 16 beds quickly grew to house 36 women and their children, kids from newborns to teenagers, within the same footprint.

Today, after a decade of searching for a new building, an investment from the provincial government, and more than two years of renovations to make the building more accessible, Nellie’s officially cut the ribbon on its new building.

“I am so thrilled that Nellie’s now has the facility to continue doing what they do best – supporting women and their children with compassion, and providing them with the resources they need to heal and rebuild their lives,” said Jane McKenna, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “This beautiful new space represents safety and security to those that need it most.”

“The new shelter building will allow us to treat women and their children fleeing violence and homelessness with the dignity they deserve,” says Jyoti Singh, Nellie’s executive director.

The new building retains the charm and coziness of the previous shelter but in a much larger space. The number of shelter beds has increased to 40 beds spread across 22 bedrooms, and 20 bathrooms, giving all residents more privacy. This includes four barrier-free bathrooms. The increased living space also gives shelter staff a greater ability to implement health and safety measures during the pandemic, and beyond.

Until now, Nellie’s has operated out of two separate buildings: one for the shelter and another for the administration and community support and outreach services for women living in the community at risk of becoming homeless. To add to that, in order to safely implement pandemic physical distancing measures, for the last year-and-a-half residents have had to be divided between the shelter and a nearby hotel. Nellie’s new home merges everyone back under one roof.

“Nellie’s has helped thousands of people over the years, and the needs for our services continues to grow,” says Suzanne Johnson, Nellie’s board co-chair. “Women and children should be able to live free from violence and we are grateful to the provincial government and to all of our donors for their commitment to Nellie’s.”

Ontario’s violence against women’s shelters serve more than 17,000 women and children yearly across the province. Founded in 1973, Nellie’s has a strong focus on supporting marginalized women who have experienced violence, including women who may have been impacted by other issues, such as addiction and mental health challenges.

“If there’s one thing that a year and a half of pandemic living has brought to the forefront, it’s that the issues and struggles faced by the women and children Nellie’s serves are complex,” says Donnalea Sparling, board co-chair. “Our new home now also has so much more space for in-house and community programming, including a space dedicated to children’s programming, to meet both existing and emerging needs in order to provide an even greater circle of care.”

About Nellie’s

Nellie’s was founded in 1973 by a group of women activists who realized that in the City of Toronto, there were only 40 beds available for homeless women and over 400 beds for homeless men. Named after Nellie McClung, the pioneer feminist who challenged the Canadian government to have women declared persons under the law, Nellie’s has provided shelter, dignity and hope to over 15,000 women and their children.