Imagine a world where every door is locked and you have to request access, where getting healthy food you can afford takes up most of the day – every day. Imagine the only clothes you have are the ones you’re wearing, and where the available shower is the last place you were assaulted. Picture walking into the coffee shop and seeing all the faces silently say “you don’t belong here”.
This is the reality for so many of the women in the Downtown Eastside, for whom each day is dedicated to “just” survival.
Now imagine, a door that’s open, faces that smile and welcome you in, a table with friends beckoning you over to join them for a healthy meal, and afterwards, a safe shower with clean new-to-you clothes that fit.
That is what each donor’s gift does. That is what “just” looks like.
The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre is not “just” a drop-in, we are not “just” a bed. Because of you, we offer a safe place to sleep, a welcoming environment, a sense of community, a safe hot shower, and daily warm, healthy meals. With your gift we are able to offer housing support, counselling, cultural programming, 100 emergency shelter beds, two drop-in centres. Or even “just” a warm smile and comfortable chair.
Help keep these critical spaces open for every woman in the Downtown Eastside to have a door that’s open just for them.”
The campaign
This campaign is inspired by Belgian artist René Magritte’s famous 1929 painting The Treachery of Images. You might know it—it’s the one with a pipe and the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”). The idea is simple but powerful: what we see isn’t always the whole story.
This concept resonates with the work of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. On the surface, the things we provide—a plate of food, a bed, or access to a computer—might seem straightforward. But for the women we serve, these can hold both opportunity or a heavier reality:
- A plate of food can be a nourishing meal shared with others, or it can be a reminder of hunger and the struggle to make ends meet.
- A bed can mean rest and safety, but for a lot of women, it can be tied to danger or vulnerability.
- A computer or phone can be a way to connect, but for many, it can feel like another barrier.
At DEWC, only the opportunity remains. We ensure that a meal is shared in warmth and friendship, that a bed is a truly safe place to rest, and that a computer becomes a tool for connection and empowerment.
This campaign is about seeing the bigger picture. It’s about understanding that these small, everyday things have the power to transform lives—and with your support, that transformation happens every single day.
