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Food Bank Toilet paper, canned fish, canned or packaged soup, paper towels, mac & cheese, canned fruit, juice boxes, coffee, tea, canned beans, baked beans, cooking oils, dish soap, laundry detergent, cold cereal First Care New infant items, diapers, baby formula for baby care bags, small baby equipment items Hope with Wheels New socks, new underwear, new sleeping bags, men’s and women’s hygiene products Haven Helping Seniors Toilet paper, soap bar, shampoo, deodorant, razors, body wash, conditioner, body lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrush, adult diapers, incontinence pads, body wipes Haven's Closet New, clean, or gently used casual and business wear clothing for women, men and children. For Monetary Donations Please mail your cheque/money order (payable to Haven on the Queensway) to: Haven on the Queensway, 1533 The Queensway, Toronto, ON M8Z 1T8 Or donate online Donations can be dropped off at the Haven Monday to Wednesday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Thursday 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM

We have started the year off strong with almost 20 NEW volunteers placed into programs at the Haven! This is an amazing start to the new year. As the Haven expands and grows its programs due to demand in the community, that means the amount of people we are serving is also growing rapidly. This could not be possible without an increase in volunteers. We can never express how grateful we are for the commitment and support of our volunteers. We have 13 volunteers celebrating their one-year anniversary volunteering at the Haven and 6 volunteers celebrating 2 years. These are just anniversaries up to April of this year. We will have many more coming later in the year as well. The Haven would not exist and be able to effectively help as many people as we are, without their ongoing commitment and eagerness to help the community. We are forever grateful to our Haven volunteers, thank you so much for all you do! If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at the Haven, please fill out the application on our website. Haven Volunteer Application

Join us for our upcoming 11th Annual Golf Tournament SAVE THE DATE Date: Monday, July 24th, 2023 ​ Location: Lambton Golf and Country Club 100 Scarlett Road Toronto, ON M6N 4K2 ​ Tournament Format: 4-Person Scramble ​ Questions and Sponsorships: Susan Carbone, Special Events and Projects Director 437.388.1255 events@havenontheq.com

The Haven Helping Seniors program continues receiving great support from our community and local businesses. Thanks to Pormeleau's continued support, our seniors received beautiful and meaningful Christmas presents again. Our program continues growing and during the first months of the year we have welcomed 13 more seniors, some of whom are also receiving food deliveries through our partnership with DoorDash. Now that the pandemic is waning, we have a new year schedule full of fun and educative in person activities, which goal is bringing our seniors together and strength the sense of community. The activities include workshops in gardening, painting, creating ornament and much more. We want to thank the volunteers that make it possible for the Haven to support the growing number of seniors in need of a helping hand in our community.

Things are going strong with our Tuesday and Thursday night outings and Sunday community lunches. As the weather got colder, hot chocolate, extra sleeping bags and lots of hand and toe warmers thanks to a kind donation from Kai at ihatethecold were given out. Our usual outreach spot (a few blocks north from Queen and University intersection) is undergoing major construction so it can be a bit of a challenge to park. Despite that, our friends in need are still there to greet us with a friendly smile on their face. Due to the extreme cold weather temperatures, we have increased the amount of street patrol we do. We patrol the streets to see if there is anyone staying outside that is in need. Often there are and we see them lying on street corners in the middle of winter can be truly heartbreaking. This is probably the most rewarding part of the job for our wonderful volunteers in helping our friends. St. Margaret’s twice monthly community lunches are going wonderfully as well. It is all inside so our friends can warm up during this cold Sunday afternoons. We work together with some of their staff and volunteers. We often serve casseroles, salads, fruits, snacks, and a warm beverage. Recently, we were connected with a man named John who provides us with his most delicious Portuguese burgers from his restaurant, John’s Burger. He makes and cooks them for our friends. In the near future, Bobby from Bobby’s photography will be making Jamaican food. We serve 60 people there on an average Sunday. We are also actively looking into expanding the program to help our local friends in South Etobicoke. We have begun making weekly scouting trips in the neighbourhood to help our local friends in the near future.

Here at Haven’s Closet, we are getting ready to usher out winter and welcome in spring! Our clients made it through the long cold winter thanks to the warm clothing and outerwear provided by our generous donors and now we are ready to begin the switch to lighter spring clothing and jackets. Do you know that there are other ways to contribute to Haven’s Closet besides clothing? We also accept donations of small working kitchen appliances (coffee makers, toasters etc.), clean bed linens, towels, dishes, glassware, cutlery and pots and pans. Children’s books are also very welcome, and recently Sunnylea Junior School facilitated a book drive and filled the shelves of our little library. Thank you to those wonderful students! The item most needed item still is and will always be NEW underwear for children, women, and men. Perhaps your school, workplace or group would consider doing a NEW underwear drive. We all like that clean fresh feeling!

We are very excited to announce that as of January 14, 2023, the First Care Program began its new service, the delivery of baby items to moms with newborn babies. This new delivery service is carried out monthly and the number of eligible mothers is increasing progressively. Our aspiration is to reach out and help families in need in the South Etobicoke community, as well as mothers and fathers referred by local agencies andToronto-based hospitals. This new delivery service is made possible by the continued support of DoorDash dashers, volunteers and our generous donors. In the same period, 22 moms-to-be registered with us have received baby bags containing newborn diapers, baby wipes and essentials to welcome a new baby or, in some cases, twins and even triplets. Currently, our program includes more than 100 registered families, and 63 are parents of children from 0 to 12 months of age. First Care Amazon Wish List On behalf of the clients of the First Care Program, thank you!

During February we saw over 800 appointments registered with our Food Bank. Many of our clients are regular clients who rely on our service’s multiple times a month and because of this we have built strong relationships with them. This particular month, I noticed one of our clients was late for his appointment, and though he is normally very friendly and talkative I noticed he was quiet and seemed troubled. I invited him over to our check-in table to chat and he told me that he had just been let go from his job. He was very hopeful about his job, and about the possibility of finding financial stability for himself and his family; this was now taken away from him and came us to on this particular day feeling helpless. Fortunately, we had lots of extra groceries to give him to help him through this difficult time. Additionally, we also were able to bless him with a Walmart gift card to purchase even more groceries. Our client was so excited by this that he gave me a big hug and began to cry. He left that day with a new hope and an opportunity to provide for his family for a little while longer while he looks for a new job opportunity.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. We here at the Haven on the Queensway fully #EmbraceEquity. When we embrace equity, we embrace diversity, and we embrace inclusion. We embrace equity to forge harmony and unity, and to help drive success for all. Equality is the goal, and equity is the means to get there. Through the process of equity, we can reach equality. - www.internationalwomensday.com Marta Pineda’s Story Marta is an administrator with twenty plus years of experience in programs and project management in Canada and Colombia. Her passion for serving the community led her to join Haven on the Queensway more than ten years ago. As a Projects Manager, she delivers pertinent and effective programs to the community while instilling the values of the Haven - Compassion, respect, dignity, and security for all. Claudia Ouellette’s Story Claudia is the First Care Coordinator. Before entering the non-profit sector, she worked providing legal advice and immigration services in Canada and Peru. Claudia’s love of serving the community led her to work at the Haven. She is constantly encouraging and supporting pregnant women, young mothers, and new parents in the South Etobicoke community by providing nutritional and material resources. Claudia aspires to reach out and help all families in need, including those referred by local agencies and Toronto-based hospitals. As a mother of twins, one of her favourite activities is baking cookies and sweets. Della Court’s Story Della is the Haven’s Closet Coordinator. Haven’s Closet is a program offering gently used clothing and housewares for those in need. She is happy to be able to provide clothing needed for women and their families to excel in their daily lives. She is an Etobicoke native and loves giving back to her community.

Congratulations to Etobicoke Lakeshore in celebrating our 10th Anniversary Walk Together we did it on February 25th! Thanks to all of our walkers, teams, sponsors, donors and volunteers, together we have exceeded our set goal. Here is how #EtobicokeLakeshore stood across Canada: $136,859, that is 109% of our set goal this year, has been raised for the Haven on the Queensway. The fundraiser is open till March 31st – together let's reach our personal fundraising goal by the end of the month. We had 345 walkers, 49 teams and 65 volunteers. Thanks to all the 45 sponsors - we could not have done this without your continued support Out of the 182 locations across Canada, Etobicoke Lakeshore is 22nd. Our top teams currently across Canada are the following: Team Humans of Haven – raised $19,622, in 26th spot Team Nusens – raised $14,650, in 53rd spot Team Metalogics – raised $8,355, in 174th spot Our walkers currently in the Top 100 across Canada are the following: Ben Lee – raised $10,250, in 21st spot Alex Milic – raised $5,100, in 98th spot Armand Sanguigni – raised $5,080, in 100th spot Wakeela Kassim – raised $5,065, in 101st spot We hope you are as excited as we are by these results. Next year, we want to make this event even bigger and better. SAVE THE DATE - February 24, 2024 Etobicoke Lakeshore, Together we did it! Visit our website for event pictures, sponsor listing and highlights. Susan Carbone and the Haven team CNOY Etobicoke Lakeshore

John Jefkins - President Haven on the Queensway Board Challenges bring opportunities. Many are facing a perfect storm, with inflation driving increased costs combined with the after-effects and everyday stress caused by COVID and world events. This has resulted in the increased usage of Haven services, including many first-time users. When visiting the Haven, there is a “bee-hive” of activity. The organization has a strong community demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm by staff and volunteers with increased financial support from sponsors, foundations, and donors. There are many 2022 accomplishments to meet this increased need, and I am pleased to highlight a few: The growing number of volunteers who are the engine of the Haven - 86 offering their time in areas such as the Food Bank and Haven’s Closet, Hope with Wheels, First Care and Haven Helping Seniors programs. Our corporate financial support has grown substantially leading directly to the growth in our programs. Our major fundraising events, (Coldest Night of the Year walk and Golf tournament) were the most successful to date surpassing the fundraising goals in both cases as well as seeing many new sponsors come on board to lend their support. The support from our many Foundations remained very strong with a few new relationships being cultivated that promise to bring many more years of financial assistance to the Haven. The Haven has excelled in recording growth under the excellent leadership of its dedicated staff and volunteers. I also recognize the strong contribution of my fellow Board members (John Kazek, Cintia De Aguiar, Ina Goodhart, Rodney Ikeda, Mike Palaniandi and Roger Berg) for their leadership and guidance. The Haven is in a strong position to advance further in 2023, delivering services and engaging the community. On behalf of the Board, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Holiday Season and Happy New Year. Words cannot express our appreciation for all your significant efforts in delivering much-needed services and assistance to our community. John Jefkins President of the Board Haven on the Queensway

Food Bank Toilet paper, canned fish, canned or packaged soup, paper towels, mac & cheese, canned fruit, juice boxes, coffee, tea, canned beans, baked beans, cooking oils, dish soap, laundry detergent, cold cereal Haven's Closet New, clean, or gently used fall and winter clothing, winter jackets, winter boots, hats, gloves, mittens and scarves Children's Book Centre New and slightly used children's books First Care New infant items, diapers, baby formula for baby care bags, small baby equipment items Hope With Wheels New socks, new underwear, new sleeping bags, men’s and women’s hygiene products Haven Helping Seniors Toilet paper, soap bar, shampoo, deodorant, razors, body wash, conditioner, body lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrush, adult diapers, incontinence pads, body wipes For Monetary Donations Please mail your cheque/money order (payable to Haven on the Queensway) to: Haven on the Queensway, 1533 The Queensway, Toronto, ON M8Z 1T8 Donations can be dropped off at the Haven Monday to Wednesday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Thursday 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM