In this edition of "Your Redwood":

• Hot off the press! Read Your Impact Report 2022-2023!

• Celebrate the graduates of the 4th annual Redwood Bike Club! 

• There is still time to help children living in The Redwood emergency shelter with their Back to School needs!

We hope that as you read our latest Impact Report you will share our immense pride in all that The Redwood has been able to accomplish, thanks to the donors, volunteers, staff and community partners who share the work of our mission – to provide programs and services to support women and children to live and thrive without abuse, homelessness and poverty. 

As the Redwood marks 30 years of service to the community, we are issuing a call to action: 

Mobilize Community to End Gender-Based Violence!

Please read Abi’s letter on page 3 of the Impact Report to learn more. From the back page of the Impact Report:

Left to right: Bike Club leaders Ochuko, Jasmyn, Bolaji, and Simryn with volunteer, Katherine.

All children living in The Redwood’s emergency shelter are given the opportunity to participate in our summer-long Bike Club! Children learn the rules of the road and how to cycle safely - many of the children ride a bike for the first time.  

Thanks to a generous grant from the Alva Foundation, this summer 24 children participated in Redwood Bike Club – each receiving a new bike in the correct size and favourite colour that they can take with them when their families are ready to leave the shelter and move into a home of their own.

At the end of the summer Redwood Bike Club leaders honoured each child in a graduation ceremony, complete with certificates and ice cream cake!  

The Redwood is grateful to be able to provide children with the opportunity to learn a new skill that will help keep them healthy – and have fun – throughout their lives!  

One child summed up his summer this way:  

“I like to wake up, eat, go to Bike Club and repeat!” 

In the words of our Child and Youth Coordinator, “Everyday is Back to School at The Redwood!” Children arrive at the shelter with their mothers all through the year – they face enrolling in a new school, meeting a new teacher and classmates, all while trying to cope with the trauma they have experienced. It's a lot for any child to deal with.  

YOU can help boost children’s confidence by providing them with a few new things they may need as they attend their first day of at their new school.  

• Outfit a Child! Provide necessities like a knapsack, school supplies, a fall outfit or new shoes that children can pick out themselves, by providing their moms with a gift card for back to school shopping. $200 

• Presto! Help a child get from the shelter to school safely by providing their mother with a Presto card loaded with a month’s worth of travel. $150

• Tote-ally Fun Art Supplies! Spark creativity with a tote full of arts supplies each family can use to participate in workshops created just for them! $50

For more information please contact our Fundraising Coordinator, Marie Colucci, at 416-533-9372 ext.249 or mcolucci@theredwood.com. She'll be happy to hear from you!

Thank you to all of you who have already made a gift to our Back to School appeal!

Are you experiencing abuse?

Êtes-vous victime d'abus?