Some people knew her as Mary. Others knew her as Rita. Many East End Toronto residents knew Mary-Rita as constant presence outside the Tim Horton's and Shopper's Drugmart at the corner of Coxwell and Danforth Avenues.
Sadly, Mary-Rita was unhoused. There are many varied and intersecting reasons for Mary-Rita living in the parking lot. Tragically, Mary-Rita passed away after exposure to the elements shortly before Christmas last year.
On the one year anniversary of her death, East End United Regional Ministry is hosting a candlelight vigil in memory of Mary-Rita, as well as all those who have died while unhoused.
Mary-Rita volunteered with our food justice ministry, Nourish East End (
https://nourisheastend.ca/), helping to unload the food truck on Monday mornings. Out of this tragedy, a working group seeking to create deeply affordable, supportive housing has been created and is working towards helping to make sure those is similar situations as Mary-Rita would have the supports they needed earlier to be safe and housed.
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⛪️ East End United Regional Ministry is an affirming (2S & LGBTQIA+ positive) community of faith within the United Church of Canada.
We have two locations: Our Eastminster Campus at 310 Danforth Avenue/Danforth Multifaith Commons (worship Sunday mornings at 10:30am) and our Glen Rhodes Campus at 1470 Gerrard Street East/East End Food Hob (worship Thursday evenings at 6:30pm).
SEE OUR ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE:
https://www.eastendunited.ca/roomattheinn.html
📰 News articles 📰
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2024/12/25/a-strong-woman-who-never-gave-up-east-toronto-neighbourhood-shaken-by-death-of-unhoused-resident/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/unhoused-woman-dies-danforth-coxwell-neighbourhood-1.7419563
Also check out other Food & Drink events in Toronto.
