Safety Planning/Emergency Information
Safety Planning
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To help you prepare for your safety in a variety of situations, Victim Services Toronto (VHS) created the checklists below for you to consider. These lists are in PDF format and can easily be printed or saved to your computer for reference. You will need Adobe Acrobat to open this files. Clicking on the links below will open the PDF in a new browser window.
These files, shared courtesy of Victim Services Toronto, are also available in other languages by clicking the links on Victim Services Toronto Safety Planning.
- Assessing Your Safety
- Planning for Your Children’s Safety
- Planning for Your Safety During a Violent Incident
- Planning Your Safety for Leaving
- Planning Your Safety in the Home
- Planning Your Safety Outside the Home
- Planning Your Safety with Court Orders
Planification des mesures d’urgence
- Evaluez Votre Securite
- Planifier La Securite De Vos Enfants
- Preparez Votre Securite Durant Un Incident Violent
- Preparer Sa Securite Pour Partir
- Preparer Votre Securite Dans Votre Domicile
- Preparez Votre Securite A L’Exterierur De Votre Maison
- Preparer Votre Securite Avec Les Decisions Judiciaires La Policie Et Le System De Justice Penal
Emergency Information
Distress
Call 911 for any situation requiring immediate assistance (police, fire, and/or ambulance).
Distress centre of Toronto: 416-408-HELP (4357)
Provides confidential service available 24 hours a day to persons in distress. Access to a confidential interpreter for callers in crisis offered in 151 languages.
General help with any social service issue
Call 211 or go to 211toronto.ca
Abuse
Call the Police at 911 in an emergency
211 Toronto Abuse and Sexual Abuse services
Assaulted Women’s Helpline
416-863-0511 or 1-866-863-0511 outside 416 area
Toll-free: 1-888-364-1210
Website: http://www.awhl.org/
Confidential and anonymous; telephone crisis counselling, information and support; referral to emergency shelters; legal information and community services, as well as culturally appropriate resources for abused women; liaison with diverse communities.
519 Church Community Centre – Anti-Violence Program
416-392-6877
Website: http://www.the519.org/
It responds to hate crimes based on sexual or gender orientation and to same-sex or pansexual partner abuse.
Bashing Report Line for victims or witnesses of homophobic assaults: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/rhvp/rhvp_pamphlet.pdf
Food/Drop-in Centres
Food link hotline
416-392-6655
Website: https://foodshare.net
Linked with Community Info 211 to provide 24-hour assistance for locating food banks or free hot meals.
Daily Bread Food Bank
416-203-0050
Website: http://www.dailybread.ca/
Provides names and locations of food banks in Toronto Area. Requires an interview. Home address and income statement must be provided.
519 Church St. Sunday Drop-in
416-355-6783
Website: http://www.the519.org/
A year-round programme featuring meals, movies, meeting place and resource information for homeless people.
519 Church St. Meals-trans
416-355-6778
Website: http://www.the519.org/programs/meal-trans
Meal Trans is a multi-service drop-in primarily for lower-income and street-active transsexual and transgendered people. We provide a place for ts/tg people to get together over a healthy meal, access resources, information, and referrals, discuss issues relevant to our lives, learn with and from each other, and build a stronger community.
Out Of The Cold (OOTC)
416-699-OOTC
Provides safe refuge, hospitality and emergency shelter to the homeless community at different sites throughout the City of Toronto List of OOTC sites is available online.
416 Drop In
416-928-3334
Website: http://416community.com/
Dundas St. (Parliament & Dundas).Offers a range of services for women including meals, recreations, showers, telephones, etc.
Fred Victor Centre
416-364-8228
Website: http://www.fredvictor.org/
146 Queen St (Jarvis & Queen) offers a range of services including low-cost meals.
Emergency Housing Help
General Inquiry
To make an inquiry or get information about shelter services, please call Hostel Services’ general line at 416-392-8741.
Assessment and Referral Centre
416-338-4766
A 24-hour hotline providing information and referrals to shelters for singles.
From a payphone, call the Toll Free number 1-877 338-3398.
Nightly walk-in from 8:30pm to 7:30am at 67 Adelaide Street East (temporary location)
Central Family Intake Line
416-397-5637
A central referral service for families who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. Information and referral to family shelters.
Street to homes
416-392-0090
Across the entire City, seven days a week, 365 days a year, street outreach workers from community-based services and the City’s Streets to Homes unit help homeless people living outside get a safer place to sleep and find long-term housing.
Housing Help Centres
GTA
Toronto Social Housing: 416-981-6111
East York Housing: 416-424-2008
York Housing: 416 653-5400
Scarborough Housing: 416-285-8070 ext. 302
Etobicoke:
North: 416-741-1553
South: 416-252-6471
Specialized Housing Help:
Community Resource of Connection Toronto: 416-482-4103
Support/housing referral for persons with mental health problems
Centre for Spanish Speaking People: 416-533-8545
Evangel Hall: 416-504-3563
Romero House: 416-763-1303; 416-763-2939 (referrals for refugee claimants new to Canada)
Legal Services
Downtown Legal Services
416-978-6447
720 Spadina Ave. #418
Website: http://downtownlegalservices.ca/
Student Legal Aid Society clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario. Legal advice and representation provided by supervised law student volunteers covering many areas of law including: tenant issues, social assistance, pensions, employment rights, minor criminal offenses, some small claims actions, Legal Aid appeals, Employment Insurance (EI), academic and student loan appeals, Criminal Injuries Compensation Board referrals, public legal education workshops.
Legal Aid Ontario
To apply for Legal Aid Certificate call: 416-979-1446