‘This is my way of giving back’: Windsor Family Homes marks 50 years of service as demand for support grows

Affordable housing non-profit celebrates 50-years in the community. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has details.

As Windsor Family Homes and Community Partnerships marked 50 years of service this week, staff and volunteers celebrated both a legacy of compassion and a growing urgency to meet deepening community needs.

The non-profit, originally known as Windsor Homes Coalition, hosted an open house at its Howard Avenue location Wednesday to reflect on its history and highlight the pressures facing residents today.

“We do it all,” said Executive Director Angela Yakonich. “Affordable housing, rent-geared-to-income housing, food bank, kids’ programs.”

Yakonich said she joined the organization seven years ago following the retirement of a longtime leader.

“It’s incredible. The former executive director had been here for 30 years,” she said. “So, you know, being part of something that’s been such an important part of our community for so long is an incredible feeling.”

But she also acknowledged how much the landscape has changed in recent years.

“I think that we are in a very different time and things have evolved over the past few years. We’re seeing that the need is even more,” she explained. “We need more affordable housing, of course. The need for our food bank, it’s increased 107 per cent—and that’s from last January—and we know that the need is just going to continue to get greater.”

Originally founded in 1975 to support single mothers and their children, the agency has broadened its scope as demand for support services has surged across demographics. Windsor Family Homes currently manages more than 120 affordable rental units across the city and relies heavily on the support of volunteers and community partners to deliver its programs.

“When the organization started out, it was for single moms and their children. And now we’re seeing so many people need this affordable housing opportunity,” Yakonich said.

She added that more than 9,000 people are currently on the waitlist for social housing in Windsor-Essex, with some families waiting up to a decade.

“The average time—and that’s averaging different priorities of housing—is five to seven years for somebody to get off that list,” she said. “We’re seeing some people that are waiting 10 years.”

Despite those numbers, the mood at the anniversary event was one of hope and appreciation.

“We truly want to make an impact in the community,” said Danielle Atogwe, the agency’s coordinator of programs. “Even if we can change one life or help one person, that’s enough for us. But obviously, Windsor-Essex is our goal. We want to help as many people as we can.”

Atogwe also praised the people behind the scenes who have shaped the agency’s success over the past five decades.

“All of the people that have put hands into this organization being what it is now—it’s really a beautiful thing and so happy that we get to celebrate it,” she said.

She expressed cautious optimism for broader, systemic change.

“It seems like an impossible uphill battle,” she said. “But I think if everyone stands together and bands together as a community ... I hope that there could be some changes that will really help the community.”

For Janice Gray, who was named Volunteer of the Year, the milestone is deeply personal.

“It means a lot to the community. We serve a lot of people—and to myself,” Gray said. “I was homeless at one time, and they helped. This particular place helped me out. And this is my way of giving back.”

Gray described the turnout and support at the open house as “overwhelming.”

The food bank, a cornerstone of the agency’s work, remains a lifeline for many.

“We try to do everything for the kids,” said volunteer and food bank Manager Jackie Bastine. “Not just the kids. We do it for everybody. But kids is the main goal—as you can see it all along the building. It’s kids. Kids focused; kids driven.”

Bastine said the staff and volunteers remain committed to their mission, “We try to make sure that we’re able to help where we can and how we can.”