Matthew House, Toronto, ON

Matthew House grew out of the vision of its founder and current director, Anne Woolger, who had worked for many years at a city-run shelter for refugees in Toronto. There, her eyes were opened to the plight of refugee claimants who were arriving in Canada seeking asylum as refugees but had no place to stay. Recognizing the need for caring shelters geared specifically toward the unique settlement needs of refugee claimants, Anne approached her denominational leaders and shared her vision of establishing a Christian-based reception home that would provide a warm welcome for refugee claimants in a caring home-like setting.