After 20 years at 263 Bridge Ave, the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and families is making a move! Our new home, at 500 Tuscarora, will serve women and families, and the community as a whole for many years to come.
Like the women we support, the Centre has been searching for a permanent, safe, comfortable home. As an agency, we wanted space to grow with the needs of the community, and a space that would allow us to be even more impactful on the lives of women and children during the difficult experience of homelessness. After years of searching, we are proud to partner with the City of Windsor which has purchased an amazing property that will be converted to an emergency shelter for women and families.
A review of emergency shelter services, done by the City of Windsor in 2019, confirmed there were gaps in services for women and kids, with numbers of people accessing shelter rising annually. The need for women-centric space was emphasized, along with the need to increase safe and supported shelter capacity for women and families in a single location.
The City of Windsor purchased 500 Tuscarora Ave in March 2021, through generous funding from Ontario’s Social Services Relief Fund. Based on the Welcome Centre’s 30 year history supporting families and women in the Windsor community, and a 20 year history of partnering with the City of Windsor on shelter provision, the Centre was approached to utilize the purchased space towards creating a women and family shelter. Over the course of 2021, 500 Tuscarora Ave will be undergoing renovations to ensure the building meets the unique needs of women and kids accessing shelter and all various shelter support programs. Once major renovations are complete, we will begin transitioning clients and services to the new location.
The Welcome Centre has been deeply rooted in the west end community for over 30 years. We’ve been a vital resource in our neighbourhood, providing essential services to women and families and creating positive relationships within the surroundings of our Bridge Ave home. This relocation affords us the opportunity to expand our services, and our relationships, into the city’s core. We look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource to the community, a welcomed neighbour to the area, and a solid service provider to the broader community.
