Women’s shelter struggles with influx of kids
Amid Toronto’s housing crisis, a small shelter is struggling to care for an unprecedented number of toddlers.
Nellie’s, a women’s shelter in Toronto’s east end, recently faced a rare emergency shortage of diapers and baby wipes after realizing 14 of its 36 beds were occupied by children, many of them toddlers. The shelter historically caters to single women.
“In the history of this organization we have never had such a big number of children,” said executive director Margarita Mendez. “We don’t have proper space for children, we don’t have the budget to have permanent child-care workers, so this situation has really caught us off guard.” Mendez said many women entering shelters across the city are fleeing family violence and abuse during pregnancy or after giving birth. Other women are finding it very hard to afford rental housing, especially those with precarious employment or those still navigating the immigration process.
In an outpouring of support, the shelter received “hundreds” of boxes of diapers over the past week after calling for supplies.
They’re now asking the public to donate directly to the shelter so they can use the funds for other pressing issues.
“All the women and children in this very small space, it’s making the living conditions very difficult,” Mendez said, adding the shelter needs more staff and more food to care for its population.
“We’re supposed to be an emergency shelter for women facing violence, but now, the more children and women we receive, the more difficult it becomes to care for them.”
People can donate through the shelter’s website: nellies.org.