Brand new space becomes central hub of Homeward Bound's campus
Renovations on the Brian Smith Centre for Opportunity were completed and the space officially opened in the fall of 2014.
Named in honour of WoodGreen’s former President & CEO, the new space was made possible by a generous donation from Fran and Ed Clark.
The Brian Smith Centre for Opportunity sits in the middle of WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound campus, which also includes an on-site childcare facility and 2 buildings consisting of 76 2-and-3-bedroom units of affordable housing for mother led families who are working to break the cycle of poverty.
"This new space allows staff to collaborate and get to know all the participants, women and children in a more formal and welcoming setting," said Pauline Hockenstein, Director of Homeward Bound. "The new, state-of-the-art kitchen facilities allow for group cooking —which results in a lot of happy participants since cooking and baking is a favourite activity! On behalf of the staff, women and children at Homeward Bound, our sincere thanks to Ed and Fran Clark for their generous donation to make this wonderful place possible!"
In September 2014, Ontario’s Deputy Premier Deb Matthews made the Provincial Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy announcement at this new space.
Piloted by WoodGreen in 2004 and unique in Canada, Homeward Bound is an innovative program to help inadequately housed or homeless mother-led families earn college diplomas, start careers, and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Since 2004
Throughout the four-year program, women and their children live at WoodGreen’s east end campus in affordable 2 and 3 bedroom furnished apartments, receive goal-oriented case management, on-site child care, after-school programs for children and youth, financial literacy education, parenting support, and psychotherapy and trauma counseling. Graduates of the program, who only a short time ago were living in shelters or precarious housing, are now proud holders of college diplomas, have developed essential parenting and job-readiness skills, and are employed, earning family-sustaining salaries. Their children are excelling both socially and academically.
In 2013, The Boston Consulting Group completed their pro-bono Social Return on Investment analysis for the Homeward Bound program, looking at pre- and post-program socioeconomic status of the women.
The Boston Consulting Group study shows that for every dollar invested in the program, the return to society is $4 – in improved health outcomes, reduced social-assistance payments and increased tax revenues as participants move from welfare to employment and self-sufficiency.
Based on the success of Homeward Bound, WoodGreen has received funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation to replicate the program with partnering communities in Ontario. WoodGreen has also received funding from The Counselling Foundation of Canada to support the Urban Aboriginal Homeward Bound Feasibility Project.
Home Suite Hope welcomed the first cohort of Homeward Bound Halton participants in September, 2014. The Halton community, including key collaborative partners from Halton Region, the Oakville Community Foundation and Sheridan College, gathered in January 2015 for a formal program launch and celebration at Sheridan College.
Significant strides were made in Peterborough and Brockville where Homeward Bound replications are currently being developed by two lead agencies, Peterborough Housing Corporation and the Employment and Education Centre in Brockville. In both communities, local leaders and community service providers have embraced the initiatives and are engaged in collaborative program planning and cross-organizational resourcing.
In addition to the replication work, WoodGreen, the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) and Friendship Centres in Timmins, Niagara, Dryden, Hamilton and London are continuing to move forward with community engagement, feasibility studies and developing an adapted Urban Aboriginal Homeward Bound program model.
