Ordinary Women in Extraordinary Circumstances

Sistering has been supporting homeless, underhoused and low-income women in the Toronto community since 1981.

Twenty years ago, a group of community workers, women living in hostels, students and local residents came together to talk about the needs of homeless and transient women living in downtown Toronto.

“[In 1980, most of the women living in hostels] had been hospitalized in a psychiatric ward for periods of time ranging from one week to a number of years; most were chronically unemployed and experienced feelings of depression, worthlessness, boredom and alienation; many had no family support of any kind; and all had suffered some form of violence – child abuse, incest, rape and assault.”

Sistering spent its first year in an emergency shelter on Bathurst and Dundas. By January of 1982, the program needed to expand to meet the growing needs of the women coming in, and Sistering moved to Scadding Court Community Centre, opening a drop-in that operated 5 days per week. In October 1987 Sistering remained open during weekends, and in that same year the Outreach Program in Parkdale opened its doors in the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre. In September of 1983 the space at Scadding Court could no longer safely support the numbers of women coming to the program and Sistering’s drop-in moved once again, to it's College Street location. In 2004 Sistering's drop in moved temporarily to Heydon Park School and has found a permanent home for early 2006 at Bloor and Dovercourt.

“After much deliberation…we chose to name the drop-in ‘Sistering’. We wanted to convey the idea of a warm, friendly, caring, family-like atmosphere, and we also wanted to emphasize that the women who would use the drop-in would help each other. They were not to be thought of as children who would be told what to do or not to do by good mother figures. We did not call the drop-in ‘Mothering’, we called it ‘Sistering’, and…that name was very significant.”

Sistering has grown from a staff of four paraprofessionals to a staff of over 20, including community development support workers, housing workers, project coordinators and administrative staff. We provide showers, laundry facilities, clothing, some transportation, referrals, advocacy support, life skills workshops…

From 1987 to 1999, Sistering experienced a 459% increase in the number of women seeking services.

It will take all of us, in all of our communities, to eradicate homelessness. Take some time to browse our website and please feel free to contact us for more information.