SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton Inc.

Thank you to @TheSpec, Sam Campanella, the @EvaRothwell460, and the @uuhamilton. When I was displaced from my apartment in downtown Kitchener due to gentrification in 2018, Hamilton became my home. At first, I felt isolated, anxious, and alone. It was through volunteering at the Eva Rothwell Centre’s Clothing Room program that I began to feel a sense of belonging and integration into the city. The Eva Rothwell Centre is a one-stop community hub that changed my life for the better. In the Clothing Room program, my role was to unpack and organize clothing donations, display them, and assist with transactions. The space is set up much like a retail store, restoring a sense of normalcy and dignity. Each month, visitors are given points based on need, which they use to “purchase” clothing. This low-barrier system not only ensures access for economically disadvantaged individuals and families but also encourages budgeting skills while preserving a sense of autonomy and respect. It was there that I met Pat Dickinson, who I am now blessed to call my grandmother. Through Pat, I was introduced to the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton - another place that helped me feel at home. At that time, I was very close to homelessness, moving between apartments and struggling to find stability. The congregation offered me something that I hadn’t realized I needed so deeply: hope. Serendipitously, the first homily I listened to at the Dundurn Street South location focused on homelessness. Within that hour - of inspired words, music, and shared presence - I felt seen, understood and held. It was a powerful reminder of what it means to belong in a community. It shows me that connection, care, and compassion are not abstract ideals, but lived experiences. What made these spaces transformative was not just the services they offered, but the environment they created: places where people could pause, reflect, and imagine a better future. Yet it is incredibly difficult to hold onto hope without the stability and safety of a home. Spaces like these help bridge that gap. Today, there are fewer places in Hamilton - and across the world - where one can simply exist without the expectation to spend money. Libraries, parks and nature spaces, churches, and community centres are the backbone of a healthy city. They provide not only resources, but also refuge. This is why institutions like the Eva Rothwell Centre are so essential, particularly in neighbourhoods facing high levels of poverty and environmental inequity, as highlighted in the Code Red reports. Under the leadership of Sam Campanella, the Eva Rothwell Centre operates out of the former Robert Land school building. The fully accessible space includes a gym, food pantry, medical clinic operated by the Greater Hamilton Family Health Team, computer lab, music room, and dedicated spaces for tutoring, arts, and community programming. It also offers a welcoming “Qweer” room for queer and questioning youth, ensuring inclusivity is more than just a word - it is a practice. The Centre runs job readiness programs, distributes books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children in underserved postal codes, and hosts day-camps during P.A. days, March Break, and through the summer. Over the years, it has supported more than 100,000 low-income individuals, families, and children with access to clothing, food, education, and recreation - all at no cost to those who need it most. What a miracle. At the end of the day, the Eva Rothwell Centre and the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton are more than institutions - they are lifelines. They operate on a foundation of care, powered by community partnerships, volunteers, and donations. They offer love and hope. As they both approach their respective 20th and 137th anniversaries, it is worth reflecting on what makes a city truly livable...