In 2021, in response to the increased demand for our essential programs, we have continued to innovate, stretch and expand our programs to meet community needs. In 2021, our empowerment programs for women, trans, non-binary and Two Spirit people supported over 2000 program participants. This is a 30% increase in the number of program participants compared to last year. To break it down even further, we have seen an 18% increase in Crisis and Referral Program participants, and a 45% increase in Gift Certificate Program participants. WIN was also able to provide emergency funding to double the n ..read more

The Netflix series Maid sheds light on the need for local organizations, and participant focused programs, that support those facing poverty and leaving abusive relationships. The series, based on Stephanie Land’s best-seller ‘Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive’ depicts the moving story of a single mom struggling to gain independence after leaving an abusive relationship, and the emotional and practical challenges she faces to find housing and supports for herself and her daughter. It’s also an inspiring story about strength and resilience, as well as the power of commu ..read more

Use Inclusive Language:  The words we use are powerful! Learning about and adopting gender inclusive language is one step we can take to creating a world that celebrates gender diversity.  For example, consider marketing your items as “Feminine” or “Masculine” styles, rather than “Women’s” and “Men’s”.  Create an Inclusive Workplace Culture:  Learn about and implement policies that help everyone to feel comfortable and accepted.  For example, create an environment where it becomes customary that people share their pronouns when they first meet.  Include pronouns in email signatures ..read more

This Earth Day, we hope our upcycling projects, will inspire you to join our ‘Revolution Revival Movement’, and start an upcycling project of your own, or look for more ways to reduce waste in your life and in your community. We’re pretty excited about our very own in-house tie dye project. We gathered shirts with minor flaws, supplies we had on hand, and donated dye, and got to work making an exclusive line of shirts just for you! Each Thursday of ‘Earth Month’ we have posted our collection of one-of-a-kind shirts to our online shop. Click here to get to the shop. In celebration of Earth Da ..read more

On March 24th, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of our online shop going live. We still look back and think, how were we able to build an online shop, that included hundreds of unique resale items, in just one week? The story of our online shop isn’t just about technical achievements though. For us, creating and maintaining our virtual store is also part of our story of resilience and community. It represents our dedication, as a cooperative, to the delivery of our programs, and to the health of our community. We are so grateful for all of you who have visi ..read more

We are grateful to announce that, with the incredible help and encouragement of our community, we have been able to support over 1500 people who identify as women, trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit along their journey between crisis, self-sufficiency and wellness.  Our five programs are designed to provide practical and empowering support and to be there with our program participants along each step of their journey.  Last year was a year that challenged us all, and we want to take a moment ..read more

Written by Sierra Kemp and Jasmine Philip  In 2018 WIN decided to display Transgender and Pride flags on our front windows to indicate that we are a safe space for everybody, regardless of our differences. For many queer folks, seeing these symbols offers a sense of security and acknowledgement. However, we knew that displaying these flags was not enough. Our space does not become safe just because we say it is. The values of equality and respect have always been important to us, but at the time, when we talked about the significance of placing the flags in our store windows, we took the ..read more

5 Reasons Why Shopping WIN Online Is Good For You & The Planet!   You can get your thrift on! I bet, like me, many of you love the thrill of the hunt, wondering what amazing find you will snag at WIN during any given shopping trip. I promise you, WIN’s online shop, with local pick-up, can give you the same thrills! I check the website each night to see what new items might have been posted. It’s a fun part of my day and offers me a bit of that thrill I’ve been missing. It’s also giving me that great feeling I get when I find something that I needed for much less than buying it new ..read more

An update to our community: While we work on a new online shop to continue to serve the community, we have decided to close our WIN shops and Donation Centre until further notice. As of March 18th, all of our WIN shops and Donation Centre will be closed to the public until further notice. We will be continuing to provide some of our WIN Programs in a safe way and for more information please email: programs@womeninneed.ca Please keep your donations aside as we will need them more than ever once we re-open. Shop at our WIN Online Shop! We are now live: winonlineshop.ca Access our Activ ..read more

We care about you and the community at large. The health and safety of our WIN community is of utmost importance to us and we are adhering to all recommendations from the BC Centre for Disease Control to help keep everyone safe. We are currently remaining open for business. Should this change, we will update our website and social media channels. Thank you for continuing to support WIN and other local businesses as we navigate these challenging and unpredictable times. As a self-sustaining operation, we rely on the support of shoppers, donors and volunteers in order to operate our stores and ..read more