For the team and clients at WOW Living, the past year has brought plenty of reasons to say ‘wow!’
That was the message delivered by Jodi Greenstreet, executive director of the charitable organization, during an appreciation event on Thursday evening, July 25, recognizing volunteers, key donors and the many people and businesses who helped make possible WOW Living’s new location in the town’s social services and community hub at 177 Church St.
“We’ve asked the Lord and he’s provided, but he’s used people time and time again,” Greenstreet said. “It’s a series of miracles. We really do see them as that.”
WOW Living moved from 31 Frederick St. to the new hub just before the holidays last year, and set up in a temporary space until mid May while work continued on their new space in the south wing of the building where they have more than 500 square metres, which includes a warming centre, Out of the Cold Cafe, A Hand Up Clothing Room and the Groundwork program.
By March, WOW Living had raised $155,000, but their estimated cost of renovations was more than $850,000 according to Greensteet.
“They were numbers that were just ridiculous in my mind,” she said.
It turned out, the amount raised would be more than enough, thanks to the generous contributions from many helping hands, who volunteered their time, services and supplies, and provided additional funding to ensure the transformation became a reality.
Greenstreet compared the situation to a story from the Bible in which Jesus is able to feed 5,000 people with just seven loaves of bread and two fish, and explained that many businesses remained generous despite recent years creating “tough times” in which they were “pushed to the max.”
Over almost 20 years, the executive director said the generosity of others meant WOW Living rarely needed to pay for services.
“I had no idea what this stuff costs; people have always been so generous,” she said.
Even those businesses who couldn’t give away services for free, provided deep discounts according to Greenstreet, who said they had been quoted $21,000 to paint all the walls and ceilings, but Scott White charged them just $2,500 despite having to come all the way from Niagara.
Cookstown Home Hardware estimated WOW Living’s material costs would be about $24,000, and later donated $25,000, at which point Greenstreet said she “almost needed to change my pants.”
In addition to installing all the framing, she said VBros. Contracting also donated another $25,000.
“That how it played out. People did what they could,” she said.
Before the group could even begin renovations, they first needed to sign the lease, and before they were comfortable doing that, they first needed to cover the monthly rent of about $3,000 for the cafe and $2,100 for Hand Up.
That came through the support of residents and business owners who each covered one month’s rent for one or the other, and these “key holder” donors ensured WOW Living could afford to remain in the space.
As part of the event, Greenstreet thanked each of the donors for 2024 and presented those who could be present with decorative metal key with their name on it — all donated by John Veveiros from JV Fabrications, who also helped provide and install the full three-metre-tall stainless steel backsplash in the new kitchen.
After a little more than two months operating out of the newly renovated space, Greenstreet said “it’s starting to feel like home,” becoming more familiar and comfortable.
While it’s difficult to pick one aspect of the new space as being most beneficial, she named the kitchen as being at the heart of things.
“It literally is the hub, the gathering place, and it’s meeting those basic needs, like a cup of coffee,” Greenstreet said, describing an atmosphere that helps feed people’s hunger, but also their need for social interaction.
Another benefit is the accessibility of the clothing room, which easily allows clients to roll through and shop in a way that’s “more dignified” than the old location from which volunteers had to run in and out with clothing options while those in wheelchairs had to wait outside.
Beyond that, the larger more inviting space is “just more conducive,” to more functions, which has led to more participation from other organizations and agencies, according to Greenstreet, including: Ontario Works, CONTACT Community Services, Jeanny Salmon Therapy and Clinical Services, Glowing Hearts Psychotherapy, and other services including paramedicine, haircuts, and even office space with computers to help people attend virtual court appearances or file income tax.
One resident even donated a van, allowing volunteers to shuttle those in need to the emergency shelter in Alliston run by S.H.I.F.T., who also visit the new hub once a week.
On top of all that, Greenstreet praised facility workers Marc and Dan.
“We hit the jackpot. The two full-time guys are so kind and understanding and patient and they’re just the perfect fit for this facility,” she said.
WOW Living aims to provide people living in poverty with the tools and resources they need to strengthen stability and increase resiliency, and in addition to current services, is also working on an affordable-housing project.
For more information, visit wow-living.ca.
2024, key holders
For Out of the Cold Cafe
- Big Yellow bins
- Gwillimdale Farms
- Reali’s No Frills
- RE/MAX Crosstown Realty Inc.
- The Co-operators — Torrejon Financial Inc.
- Dominion Farm Produce
- Business Tech Ninjas
- The Knights of Columbus
- Mortgage Edge — Debbie Viveiros
- Doug and Brenda Weening
- The Bissonnette Family
- Jeanny Salmon Therapy and Clinical Services
- Nancy’s Nifty Nook
- Out of the Cold Cafe volunteers
- Hillside Gardens
For Hand Up Clothing Room
- Re-Source Thrift Store
- Newmarket Alliance Church
- VBros. Contracting
- Anchored Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Lisbon Paving
- The Burton Family
- The Pieper Family
- Rebecca Shore
- The Morrison Family
- Nora LaRose
- The Visser Family
- Scaraoke Entertainment
- Hillside Gardens
Other contributions
- Alex Mathis of Landshape Contracting — general contractor
- Gerrits Engineering — engineered drawings
- JV Fabrications — supplied and installed stainless steel backsplash
- Dream Team Drywall — installed drywall
- VBros. Contracting — installed all framing, plus donated $25,000
- Cookstown Home Hardware — donated materials plus $25,000
- Battlefield Equipment Rentals — supplied lift and equipment
- Abercrombie Electric — electrical services
- Sion Jones owner of Trydan Systems — electrical material and services
- A&L Plumbing & Heating — plumbing services
- Ron Bauer — donated and installed security cameras
- Home Depot Bradford — supplied 80 sheets of drywall, plus concrete breaker and floor roller
- Mike DeBiasi from Practical Designs — installed flooring
- Benjamin Moore Decorator’s Edge — donating paint for ceilings
- Davenport Architectural Corp.— architectural services
- Anonymous — donated kitchen appliance
- Scott White — painting services
- Bradford Tim Hortons — donated $21,376 from Smile Cookie campaign
