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Some services are available in a women-only setting, including but not limited to programs for new mothers, pregnant women, and those wishing to exercise in a more private setting. These services may include health and mental health supports, resources and information and opportunities to build new skills or access accommodation, food and baby items.
A recreational women’s baseball league where all skill levels are welcome. Games played at various diamond locations in Ancaster and surrounding area.
A non-profit agency committed to providing hope, compassionate and informative assistance for anyone facing an unexpected pregnancy.
Services are free and confidential. They include:
Provides free baby clothing and other essential gear to local families in need.
Accept used and new baby clothing in sizes 0 to 2T as well as coats, diapers, blankets, wipes, Vaseline, baby lotion, baby shampoo, diaper cream, new towels, and new or used washcloths.
Items that will not be accepted include used swim suits, used towels, used underwear, reusable diapers, stuffed animals, used toys, or any adult clothing.
Donations can be dropped off at one of three drop-off locations in the city. Please call for locations.
The Baby Depot collects, recycles, and distributes a year’s worth of gently used baby clothes and essentials to local families in need through a network of community partners. They do not distribute these items directly.
Offers free, confidential emergency service for women distressed by pregnancy.
Services include:
Softball program for women, consisting of 8 teams. Each season includes 2 practices and approximately 13 games. New players must attend a rating clinic prior to drafting of the teams.
A drop-in for unsheltered women and non-binary individuals in Hamilton, providing access to meals, showers and basic needs, low barrier health care, harm reduction and withdrawal management services, safe drug use space (from 10pm-9am), systems navigation and shelter referrals, advocacy, care planning and coordination.
Offers support services and counselling to children who have experienced abuse. Services include:
Offers school programs and on-site supports for pregnant and parenting young women who live in the community. Nutritious lunch and snacks are provided daily. The Hamilton Wentworth District School Board provides and on-site classroom offering a range of grade 9-12 credits. Additional supports are available including prenatal, parenting, and life skills programs as well as counselling, and referral to other community and health care resources.
The Community Outreach Program consists of the Get Connected program and a Young Parent Navigator. Together these provide support for pregnant and parenting young people living in the community who may need assistance making connections to community resources, navigating services systems and learning self-advocacy skills.
Also provides community education and awareness through workshops that can be arranged through St. Martin’s Manor.
Offers educational programs for new mothers including a prenatal and postnatal program focusing on healthy interactions between babies and mothers. Also offers follow-ups concerning nutrition and postnatal home visits. Goals of this program are to:
Services provided by Interval House of Hamilton at Women’s Centre of Hamilton and Flamborough Women’s Resource Centre. Provides support for women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse including:
A recreational softball program for women. Aims to promote teamwork, friendly competition, and building of softball skills. Teams are sponsored by local businesses.
Elizabeth Fry Society offers several community programs for women including:
The Elizabeth Fry Society offers many programs to those in corrections. Content of these focuses on anger management, counselling for abuse and domestic violence survivors, relapse prevention and trauma healing.
Elizabeth Fry Society Southern Ontario Region offers programming and support directly to women from the Hamilton and surrounding area when they are being released back into the community. This program provides women with comfort kits, non-perishable food items and gently used clothing. It also connects women to housing supports, community referrals and other community programming.
Provided to women being released from the Grand Valley Institute, Vanier, and the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.
The Elizabeth Fry Society can provide a court worker or advocate for and provide referrals and support for women to help them navigate through the court process.
Staff and volunteers attend Hamilton criminal courts most weekday mornings to provide these programs or support women in conflict with the law.
Criminalized women age 18 and older are offered an onsite drop-in support at the head office of the Elizabeth Fry Society in Hamilton. The goal of this program is to assist women who have been in conflict with the law with community reintegration. The drop-in also includes programming, access to free clothing, toiletries and food.
15 low-barrier overnight beds to women and non-binary people. Beds are available on a first come, first serve basis either by walk-in or community referral. Offers snacks and beverages, harm reduction supplies, emotional support, and assistance with finding housing.
Provides a place of sanctuary, safety and support for women (and their children) with a variety of programs.
Family Court Support Worker Program
Provides emergency shelter services and overnight accommodation for homeless women in Hamilton. Services also include meals and laundry.
A 40-bed emergency shelter for individuals and their children who are homeless and fleeing violence and abuse. Provides safe, short-term accommodation in private family-style units, safety planning and emergency transportation to the shelter, if needed, referrals and advocacy for legal, medical, financial, employment, housing and community services.
Fastball league for women. Open to residents of Flamborough and surrounding area. Meeting times and locations vary.
Replacing the Mountain View Program (Discontinued in September 2020), Gyo Geh Doh is a transitional supportive housing program for single women in precarious housing conditions. It has an emphasis on wrap-around supports.
Public health nurses and family home visitors provide prevention, early intervention, and prenatal support to at-risk families. Focus is on healthy child development and parenting skills. Services include:
Offers practical instruction and coaching programs to individuals, families, and groups to help promote healthy and independent living. Programs are designed to meet the unique needs of each client and group with the goal of developing skills in areas such as:
An emergency shelter for women and children experiencing domestic abuse, as well as programs for the children of residents.
Services available for residents include:
Provides emergency supply of infant formula, baby food, and diapers to families with children aged 0-3 years. Assistance provided up to once every 2 months.
Offers legal advocacy support, information, and court accompaniment to women who have experienced family violence. Provides support with navigating legal systems when leaving an abusive relationship, including family, criminal, immigration, and child welfare issues.
Women’s group that supports the Legion and its members, as well as community groups. Also engages in social activities such as luncheons, euchre tournaments, and more.
Contact local Legion Branch for more information.
A monthly support program that provides infant formula and baby food for low income families with infants under the age of 12 months. By appointment only.
Provides a variety of services to help youth and families with mental health issues, behavioural challenges, or other complex needs, including those with a dual diagnosis.
Support is provided in-home, school, and/or within the community.
Provides comprehensive and accessible maternity care using a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. Women attend the clinic for prenatal visits and attend St Joseph’s Hospital for delivery by Maternity Centre doctors on call. Also offers support and care in the first six weeks after your baby is born. Services include:
A community day treatment program for women who are pregnant or mothering young children and have substance addictions. Women attend once a week with their children. Provides the opportunity to access addiction and parenting services based on individual needs. Childcare is available for participants while they are at the program.
Provides support for newcomers who are pregnant or with a newborn child. Services include:
An intensive, evidence-based prenatal and infancy home visitation program for young, first time parents. This voluntary, free service is provided by public health nurses, beginning early in pregnancy (before 28 weeks gestation), and continuing until the child’s second birthday. Goals include improving pregnancy outcomes, improving child health and development, and improving parents’ self-sufficiency. Nurses provide support and education on health, child development, parenting issues, life goals and access to community resources.
Public health nurses are available to visit agencies and organizations, to further explain the program and the referral process.
Provides support for women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence. Offered at a confidential location for up to one year. Services include:
Provides 15 furnished transitional housing apartments and support to young mothers with on-site programming and support staff. Offers supportive programs to those in the transitional housing.
Programs include:
Provides young mothers in the east end of Hamilton the opportunity to attend high school in an alternative education setting with on-site child care for their children.
A social club for women from all walks of life, promoting fun and friendship with like-minded women. Women over the age of 50 wear Red Hats and purple clothing, while women under 50 wear Pink Hats and lavender clothing.
A service club whose purpose is to aid and encourage the development of women. The goal of the organization’s activities are to connect women with entrepreneurial spirits who are passionate about improving the lives of women and girls through education opportunities.
Emergency services and grocery support for youth in the Hamilton community. Provides food, clothing, hospital care packages, baby products and hygiene items. Also offers nutrition and budgeting programs as well as referrals to Living Rock’s Wellness Works Coordinator.
Youth can also trade in “Rock Bucks” earned through the Living Rock educational programs to “purchase” household items or clothing.
Offers training opportunities and employment support for young women and non-binary youth.
Services include:
Provides women and non-binary people with the opportunity to reskill or upskill in advanced manufacturing or data science through certification training and additional supports related to navigating non-traditional workplaces and job development. All training expenses are covered by FedDev Ontario, and paid by YWCA Hamilton.
A 15 bed emergency shelter, designed for women and their children, fleeing from domestic violence, dangerous situations, or experiencing homelessness. Assistance is provided for all women regardless of age, ancestry, culture, place of origin, sexual orientation, with or without children who are experiencing crisis in their lives.
Services offered include group programs, women’s abuse education program, referrals, assistance in finding safe and suitable housing, and traditional healing methods. Service is available for a time up to and including six weeks. All residents will receive meals, personal hygiene items, safety planning and assistance with plans of care.
Free weekly groups for pregnant individuals. Discussions with a Registered Nurse and Registered Dietitian include pregnancy, labour and birth, managing stress, eating well and cooking healthy food, breastfeeding, and community supports. Grocery gift cards, multivitamin gift cards, and bus tickets are provided as needed.
Drop-in centre providing a space for women to receive compassionate care in a way that creates opportunities to build on their strengths. Access to laundry, shower facilities, a safe place to rest, meals, and harm reduction supplies, as well as art, games, and other social activities.
Provides non-medical residential withdrawal management, 24-hour telephone crisis support, early treatment groups, a taking steps group, day and residential treatment, and aftercare for women with substance use issues. Part of the Shelter Health Network, Womankind Addiction Service was created in the amalgamation of Hamilton Women’s Detox Centre and Mary Ellis House.
Offers a variety of services to promote women artists in Hamilton.
Services include:
A monthly support group for women and adult female identifying individuals. Helps build connections through conversation, education, harm reduction and HIV/STI Testing.
A 65-bed residence providing safe, affordable and temporary housing to women experiencing poverty, homelessness and violence.
Services include:
Offers young parents an opportunity to earn secondary school credits for learning and demonstrating effective parenting practices. The curriculum is developed to support hands-on, experiential based learning. The parents bring their infants to the classroom every day. The classroom is set up to meet the needs of the parent’s learning and the infant’s care.
Students work with a Secondary School teacher to earn credits and receive hands on parenting support from an Early Childhood Educator. Students have the opportunity to learn alongside other young parents and connect with a variety of community resources such as the Ontario Early Years Centres.
Provides free in-home support for mothers with babies under 6 months of age, feeling overwhelmed or who are at risk of postpartum depression. Weekly visits from a trained volunteer provide practical support, social interaction and time for self-care.
Offers support for women to help secure employment in the skilled trades industry. Provides participants with technical training and job coaching with specific regard to machinist and electrical work.
Successful participants will receive:
The awards recognize outstanding women and organizations who are committed to the development of other women and to the overall improvement of the community.
The awards seek to recognize women who have: