Participating With Women Transform Their Lives

Home Suite Hope’s work supporting single parents toward stability and independence

Home Suite Hope logp

By Sara Cumming, PhD.

In my own life, I was raised by a teenage single mother, and I became a single mother myself at 22. Through a mentor, I eventually found my way into university—and in a surprising turn of events, I went on to earn a PhD, becoming an expert in helping single mothers move from social assistance to self-sufficiency.

That’s how I was introduced to the organization. When you think about it, it’s remarkable how those two paths aligned. I began volunteering in a variety of ways, and eventually I was asked to step into a leadership role. At the time, I laughed—I was a full-time professor and didn’t plan to leave academia. But through collaboration between both organizations, we found a way to make it work.

I’ve now been with Home Suite Hope for eight years, and this is my seventh year as Executive Director.

I have the extraordinary privilege of combining lived experience with academic expertise in gender, social policy, and employment. Our work focuses on supporting single mothers who are navigating housing instability and complex life circumstances.

Safe housing creates the foundation for everything else. When people know they have a place to live, they are better able to focus on education, employment, and building healthy relationships.

We provide rental subsidies, but housing alone isn’t enough. Without life skills support, people may struggle to maintain that housing. Homelessness is not just about a lack of money—many of the mothers we work with are already employed. Right now, we are supporting 50 single mothers in Halton who are transitioning out of homelessness.

One of the most meaningful parts of this work is watching women transform their lives—becoming self-assured, confident, and independent.

When I first came into the organization, I spent time researching other non-profits in the area. What I noticed was that many organizations were trying to be everything to everyone, and as a result, people were falling through the cracks.

We made a strategic shift toward collaboration, building partnerships across organizations. Today, we have developed over 30 partnerships, which has significantly improved how we serve the community.

Another key area of growth has been life skills development. I remember sitting in on a financial literacy session where participants were being told to save for their children’s education. But many of them were struggling to meet their basic needs—they couldn’t feed themselves that day.

That moment highlighted a gap. Life skills need to be practical, relevant, and responsive to real circumstances. So we co-developed a client-centered life skills curriculum in partnership with others. Participants help shape what is taught, ensuring it reflects their actual needs.

Today, we have a robust and accessible life skills program that organizations can adopt for a small licensing fee. It’s a model rooted in dignity, collaboration, and real-world application.

We have developed strong wraparound supports that help move single mothers from poverty to self-sufficiency—housing subsidies, free college tuition, life skills training, professional development, and onsite psychotherapy.

However, many people still don’t know we exist or how to refer individuals to our programs. Increasing awareness is critical.

I also believe there is tremendous opportunity for deeper collaboration across organizations. For example, we’ve successfully partnered with other non-profits to share resources, such as a grant writer. By working together, we’ve increased funding and reduced duplication of effort.

There is no shortage of resources—we simply need to use them more effectively. When organizations collaborate, share space, and align efforts, we can create far greater impact without significantly increasing costs.

One of our biggest challenges right now is access to housing. Finding affordable units in Halton has become increasingly difficult.

We are actively working to secure housing partnerships, including a current collaboration with a developer to create 28 units in Oakville. However, progress can be slowed by public resistance at the municipal level. Expanding affordable housing requires community support and advocacy.

We also want to continue expanding innovative programs like our life skills curriculum—ensuring they remain accessible, flexible, and responsive to participant needs.

Looking ahead, strengthening partnerships across sectors will be essential. By working together, we can better respond to the complex realities that single mothers are navigating.

To make our next steps successful awareness and visibility are key. I am continually surprised by how many people—even those who could benefit from our services—have never heard of organizations like ours.

When people don’t know support exists, they struggle alone in ways they don’t have to. In many cases, we can prevent homelessness before it happens.

We also need stronger community advocacy. When organizations speak individually, it’s easy to overlook the scale of need. But when we come together with a unified voice, we can drive meaningful change.

Support for affordable housing initiatives and partnerships that prioritize access—such as first right of refusal for units—would make a significant difference.

Ultimately, this work requires collaboration across organizations, community members, and systems willing to invest in long-term solutions.

We would see a more connected and effective system of care—where non-profits and private industry work together to close gaps and ensure no one falls through.

When organizations understand each other’s roles and actively refer within a shared network, people receive more comprehensive and timely support.

With expanded housing and integrated services, more single mothers would be able to move beyond crisis and into long-term stability.

The vision is a community where individuals are not defined by their circumstances, but by the opportunities available to them. With the right supports in place, people can build stable, hopeful futures—for themselves and their families. 

Story curated by Phillip McAllister

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This post is part of a larger CDH Member Story Project. The intent is to share the depth of our non-profit sector, name how community can support and imagine together what is possible through the non-profit sector to ensure Halton is a health, inclusive, and resilient place to live.

Are you a CDH member and want to let your story be part of the project? You can get started HERE.