Archives for July 2023

Archive for July, 2023

Thank you, Erin Pollon, for your dedication to Nellie’s

Posted on: July 31st, 2023 by Nellie's No Comments

15 years ago, Erin Pollon moved to Toronto from Ottawa and decided to run in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon to get to know her new city. She looked through a list of charities she could support through her run, and she ended up choosing Nellie’s. The rest, as they say, was history.

“After running the marathon, I wanted to learn more about what Nellie’s was doing,” explains Erin. “I started volunteering with them and I thought what they were doing was so important — giving women a safe space.” After volunteering for a few years, there was an opening on the Nellie’s board of directors, and they were specifically looking for someone with experience in human resources. Erin currently works in HR at Women’s College Hospital, and has previously held similar roles at York University and Sunnybrook Hospital. “I thought I could bring my expertise, and Nellie’s felt really meaningful to me,” says Erin.

Now, six years later, Erin has completed three 2-year terms on the board and will be moving on in September. One of her proudest accomplishments during her tenure was helping to arrange the sale of our old shelter building. “Selling it during the pandemic was really an all-hands on deck situation,” explains Erin. “We all put in a lot of work, and it was such a relief when the shelter was sold.”

Erin also sat on our strategic planning committee for two cycles, which has helped her feel really connected to the organization’s future vision and goals. Through her time at Nellie’s, she’s come to have a deep understanding of how Nellie’s is providing crucial support to the community. “Donations really mean the world to Nellie’s,” says Erin. “Contributions empower Nellie’s to provide safety for women and children in need. With these donations we can ensure that women don’t feel alone or without a place to turn to, and I really feel it makes a genuine difference in our community and in Toronto.”

Although Erin plans to take on another board position in the future, she’s looking forward to a bit of a break after the last few busy years with Nellie’s. Or, as much of a break as her two kids under 3 will allow! In the immediate future, she plans to give back to her community through soccer coaching — but she’ll definitely still be watching what Nellie’s is up to next. “It’s been such a rewarding experience being on the board at Nellie’s,” says Erin. “I really can’t wait to continue to watch the organization grow.”

Thank you, Erin, for your time, service, and dedication to Nellie’s over the years!

Meet Emily McClung: The great-granddaughter of Nellie’s namesake, Nellie McClung

Posted on: July 13th, 2023 by Nellie's

Fifty years ago, a group of women activists realized that in the city of Toronto there were only 40 beds available for homeless women and over 400 beds for homeless men. Moved to action by this inequality, Nellie’s was founded in 1973 — and it was named after pioneer feminist, Nellie McClung.

As a member of the Famous Five, Nellie was one of five women who challenged the Canadian government in the Supreme Court of Canada to have women declared persons under the law and give them the right to serve in the Canadian Senate. She also played a leading role in the women’s suffrage movement in Canada, helping to grant women the vote in Alberta and Manitoba in 1916.

At Nellie’s, we’re truly proud to honour such an amazing woman through our work. And we think it’s pretty incredible to see how her legacy has lived on through her family as well, particularly through her great grand-daughter, Emily McClung. Emily has been a long-time supporter of Nellie’s, including being an active member of our fundraising committee for many years.

“I was really drawn to Nellie’s cause and I wanted to support the organization, obviously because it was named after our great-grandmother,” explains Emily.

Nellie McClung’s work was always prevalent in Emily’s home life, ever since she was a child. “She definitely influenced me,” says Emily. “I grew up in a house where [her influence] was always there, and we talked about her work a lot. I’ve read every single one of her books.” (Nellie published sixteen in total!)

After spending many years as a dedicated volunteer, Emily felt inspired to find a career in the gender-based violence sector. She now works as a Development and Engagement Manager at Ernestine’s women’s shelter in the west end of Toronto, and her great-grandmother is still guiding her along the way.

“The ideas of community, equity, and social justice are really important to me. And that’s how Nellie did it,” explains Emily. “She started with her little community and took her movement national, and then international. I really think about that a lot in my work — how to engage the community, and how to really talk to the community with empathy.”

As she carries on her great-grandmother’s ideals through her own work, the Nellie’s organization will always hold a special spot in her heart. “I feel really proud of the work she did and that legacy, and how that legacy lives on through the great work of places like Nellie’s,” she says. “I’m very proud of having my family’s name attached to Nellie’s.”