• Yellow Brick House is calling on the community to join its annual Break the Silence, Step in My Shoes Walk on Nov. 2 in Aurora.
  • The nonprofit supports women and children fleeing domestic violence through shelters, crisis lines, and counselling.
  • Demand for services continues to rise as the housing crisis leaves survivors in shelters longer.
  • Provincial funding has failed to keep pace with increasing shelter demand, resulting in a $775,000 funding gap.
  • Last year’s walk raised nearly $78,000, with organizers aiming to surpass that total in 2025.
  • Proceeds support the Nights of Safety program, ensuring shelter beds remain available for women and children in danger.

 

For nearly half a century, Yellow Brick House has been a lifeline for women and children fleeing domestic violence in York Region. The organization is now urging the community to take part in its annual Break the Silence, Step in My Shoes Walk, an event that raises both awareness and essential funds needed to sustain its emergency shelters and services.

The walk, scheduled for Nov. 2 at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, serves as both a statement of solidarity with survivors and a call to action against gender-based violence, which continues to claim lives across Ontario each year. In 2024, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses reported 65 femicides, a grim reminder of the urgency behind Yellow Brick House’s mission.

Yellow Brick House delivers four core services to support survivors. Its two emergency shelters, located in Aurora and Markham, contain 13 family units with 41 beds and 10 cribs. Last year, 67 women and 89 children stayed in these shelters, receiving not only safe housing but also individualized assistance.

The charity offers a range of counselling and support programs, including parenting groups, mental health and family court supports, transitional and housing services, and immigration consultations. Hundreds of women and children access these services each year, including 300 children who received specialized counselling between April 2024 and March 2025.

A 24-hour crisis and support line is also available by phone or text at (800) 263-3247. The line receives calls from an average of 167 individuals each month, connecting women in crisis to immediate help. Yellow Brick House also delivered educational programs to 2,725 people last year, with offerings including workshops for students and workplace training on recognizing and responding to abuse.

While the numbers highlight both the need and the reach of the charity’s work, they also underscore a broader challenge faced by many nonprofit service providers across the region: demand continues to outpace funding.

According to the organization, survivors are encountering unprecedented barriers to rebuilding their lives as Canada’s housing crisis worsens. Women and children fleeing abuse are staying in emergency shelters four to six weeks longer than in previous years, largely because of the shortage of safe and affordable housing options.

Government support is not matching the growing demand. Just under half of Yellow Brick House’s shelter beds are funded by the Province, leaving a $775,000 shortfall the organization must bridge through fundraising.

“A bed can mean the difference between safety and danger, between life and death.” CEO Lorris Herenda recently said. “We operate 41 beds and 10 cribs, yet only 25 of those beds receive Provincial funding.”

The Break the Silence, Step in My Shoes Walk is one of Yellow Brick House’s most important fundraising and awareness campaigns. Last year, 271 participants raised nearly $78,000. This year’s event has already brought in more than $23,000, with organizers aiming to surpass last year’s total.

Running from 10 a.m. to noon, the walk begins with a flag-raising ceremony in remembrance of women and children lost to gender-based violence. Participants then walk together alongside community leaders, businesses, and partner organizations. Proceeds will go directly to the Nights of Safety program, which ensures shelter beds remain available for women and children in immediate danger.

Individuals and teams can register for the walk and start fundraising online. For those unable to attend, donations can be made through the Yellow Brick House website.

“Gender-based violence does not discriminate. It can happen to any woman and impacts every community,” said Herenda. “We need help to keep our services available, and we cannot do this without our community. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every partnership help provide the foundation for a life free from violence.”

 

Cover image provided by and used with permission from Yellow Brick House.