Couchiching Jubilee House has gathered together a committed, compassionate and resourceful group of women and men to create a place of belonging that is non-judgmental, provides life skills, personal supports and resources to the community for women and their children. We are so pleased to include the Couchiching Jubilee House in our Community Spotlight and thank them for everything that they continue to do for women in the community.

When did the Couchiching Jubilee House first open and why did you pick this location?

We have been serving women in the community for 22 years. Couchiching Jubilee House opened it’s doors in 2001 and our first apartment building was purchased in the year 2010. We do not publicly share the location of our apartment building. We can say it is located in Orillia on a street with neighbors who are aware of our location and are very welcoming and they help to build the sense of community we are striving to cultivate for the women in our program.

Can you tell us a little bit about what type of housing you provide to women?

The Couchiching Jubilee House provides long term transitional housing with extensive programming for women and children. Residents are welcomed into a fully furnished 2-bedroom apartment. Each apartment is sponsored by a local church that takes care of the change over of each unit and provides Christmas gifts and furniture.

Women stay with us for up to 4 years while they participate in programming and counseling provided by CJH. Our goal is to build life skills, community connections and confidence to empower women to step into a bright future. Women come to us for a variety of reasons, a common misconception is that we are a domestic abuse shelter. Women can find themselves in a precarious housing situation or homeless due to mental health, poverty, generational trauma, the escalating housing crisis etc. While there certainly are themes, we can structure programming around, almost every woman has a unique story.

Can you explain how you are a movement that is empowering women to reach their full potential and fulfill their dreams.

We go beyond just providing housing, our programming is extensive and is created in collaboration with the women we serve. Programming focuses on education, employment, self care, meditation, parenting skills, art therapy, counseling and so much more. We are a smaller program so that means our program coordinator can individualize the programming based on the needs of the women at that time. With time, encouragement and consistent support we know women will thrive and we are honored that we are able to facilitate that growth and healing.

Another key component of our program is community building. We do not want to just provide a bridge to housing, we want women to maintain and thrive in permanent housing and feel equipped to flourish in our community.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Jubilee Connects Program and how a woman could register for this program.

Our outreach program has been restructured, we have been fortunate to have received several large donations and grants to intensify our outreach program. The new program is called “Women’s Connection Group” it meets every Thursday after our community walk at the waterfront. We are hoping to build bridges for authentic connections to form between community members and women who are looking for some extra support.

During the connection group, we provide lunch and either our program coordinator or a guest facilitator will guide a discussion, activity or seminar. Many of the themes in our transitional housing program will be replicated for women in the outreach program.

We want to remove any barriers that may prevent women from being thriving members of our community. We can provide bus passes, food boxes and laptops to women who consistently attend this group. While creating this program we have focused on how we can provide dignity to the women we serve. Asking for help is not a weakness, it is a strength and we do not want any woman to feel ashamed or uncomfortable after they come through our doors.

What types of volunteers are you currently looking for?

We are currently working on a new volunteer program, COVID presented a very real challenge to our volunteer base over the last 2 years. Our volunteers offer a social connection for women, combating social isolation and creating a sense of community which relies on consistent and non-judgemental support. A lunch, coffee or walk is a common activity for our volunteers. If someone is interested in volunteering, I would encourage them to watch our social media for the next volunteer intake.

Can you explain to us what a Yimbyer is and how you become a member? 

YIMBY Week in the week of June 13th and it is the first YIMBY Week in Orillia! We are hosting a flag raising, panel discussions on affordable housing and facilitating a large distribution of YIMBY lawn signs for public awareness. YIMBY means ‘yes in my backyard’, we are bringing this public awareness campaign to Orillia in Partnership with Redwood Park Communities in Barrie.  Together, we are advocating for a supportive community where everyone has a safe, affordable, hopeful place to call home. We encourage others to show their support for safe and affordable housing for ALL of our neighbours, it is our job to help to build the community support necessary to give policymakers the courage to do the right thing.

To show your support for YIMBY Week there is a link in our instagram bio to sign up for the newsletter and request a sign. Lawn signs are very effective to show support and that is the core of what YIMBY week is all about. Showing each other that we are welcoming and inclusive and open to action being taken to combat the housing crisis.

How would someone donate to your Organization and what is the money used for?

We accept cash, cheque or visa through Zeffy our zero free donation platform or through Canada Helps. Donations are crucial to the success of our programs, they support the upkeep of our apartment building, allow us to expand our children’s support, keep up staffing levels, provide therapy and so much more. Because we are a small program we can address the needs of the women as they arise, for example we helped a young woman get dentures to fix years of limited access to dental care. Our donations help us to respond to these life changing needs as they arise. We are also at a growth point, we are expanding our programs and the consistent and generous community support is putting us in a position to grow even more in the years to come to address the needs of our most vulnerable with not just housing, but also through support and connection.

Do you have any events planned for this summer and if so, could you tell us about them.

In addition to YIMBY week on the week of June 13, our annual Facebook Auction will take place from June 3 – June 21. Keep an eye on our social media for the auction event. Our Community Walk runs from May 26 – August 25 meeting every Thursday at the Couchiching Beach Park boat launch 11-12 and our outreach program follows from 1230-130 at our Colborne Street office.

If you had any words of encouragement or advice for someone thinking about volunteering their time to an Organization, what would they be?

I would first thank them for giving their time. Volunteering is a very altruistic endeavor. Secondly, I would offer the advice of an experience that volunteering will change you, it will make you re-evaluate your values and make you question your own biases and privilege. We all have so much to offer and as a non- profit organization it is our job to facilitate the learning and growth between our service users, staff and volunteers in a way where we can all learn together and build those authentic connections.

For more information on the Couchiching Jubilee House please visit their website at:  jubileehouse.ca and we also encourage you to follow them on social media.

Facebook:  jubileehouseorillia
Instagram: jubileehouseorillia