Important Updates

April 13, 2026

Your advocacy worked!

After weeks of letters, public calls to action, and sector-wide pressure, the federal government announced $125 million in renewed UHEI funding for homelessness services across Canada. And this week, Mayor Josh Morgan wrote to community partners to confirm that the insights you shared helped bring this issue directly to Prime Minister Carney.

We’ve shared our letter of advocacy to government alongside the Mayor’s letter — because transparency matters, and because you deserve to see the impact of your voice.

The fight isn’t over. We are still calling on Ontario to match this investment — and on the City to bridge the funding gap now, while new agreements are put in place.

But today, we pause to say: this happened because of you. Thank you. 💛

April 10, 2026

Thank you for your outpouring of love and support over the past few weeks in line with the news of our funding reduction of over $1 million as of April 1st. Whether you have given financially, donated in-kind items, or simply shared our impactful stats and stories, we appreciate you standing behind us.

As we adjust to these new circumstances, we have some very important service updates to share with you:

1. Starting Sunday, April 12 at 8 AM, we will be closing our emergency bed space at Parish of Holy Trinity St. Stephens Memorial, which provided 25 safe resting spaces every night since opening on February 20.

This program was a true reflection of what’s possible when a community comes together with urgency and heart. To our staff, volunteers, and partners, we can’t say thank you loud enough. You helped create something that truly mattered, and most importantly, you helped save lives during some of the coldest nights of the year.

2. Starting Wednesday, April 15, service hours at the Ark (696 Dundas St) will be reduced to 1–8 PM, seven days a week. All normal services—including dinner, Ark-Wear (clothing), showers, and advocacy—will be available during this time.

Our front door reception office will still be open during its regular hours of 9 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week, to accept donations and other inquiries. Please call 519-667-0322 or email [email protected] for assistance.

We realize that fewer hours means fewer opportunities for people to come inside, rest, access basic needs, and find a moment of stability in what is often an incredibly unstable time in their lives.

These are not changes we ever wanted to make—they are the result of funding decisions beyond our control, with the impact felt most by the people we serve.

If you are able, your donation can help us continue offering this space and these services to those who need them most. We are truly so thankful for you.

March 31, 2026

Following up on our announcement last week, we are now facing a stark and immediate reality.

Effective April 1, we will lose our core municipal funding from the City of London.

This is not a minor budget adjustment—this is the removal of over $1 million that has, until now, helped sustain the most basic and essential human services we provide: encampment meals for the hungry, showers for those without shelter, clean clothing, safe washroom access, frontline assessments, critical referrals, and compassionate system navigation for people with nowhere else to turn.

Let’s be clear about what this means:

• Fewer meals served to people already on the brink of starvation
• Fewer safe spaces for individuals trying to preserve dignity in impossible circumstances
• Longer wait times, reduced access, and, inevitably, more people falling through the cracks of an already strained system

The consequences are real, tangible, and deeply human.

Without this funding, we are entering a period of profound uncertainty. For the foreseeable future, our ability to operate will depend entirely on donated dollars…and on the generosity, empathy, and action of people like you.

This is a pivotal moment that our community will feel, because even when funding disappears, the need does not. Hunger, poverty, and crisis are still firmly in front of us.

Once again, we are asking you to help. From giving financially, sharing this message, or volunteering your time, every action matters.

We appreciate you so much. 💛

March 27, 2026

This past winter has been one of the hardest on record. Night after night of below-freezing temperatures brought challenges that many in our community should never have to face.

And yet, because of YOU, we made it through together.

As we slowly welcome the first signs of spring, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible impact of our donors, volunteers, partners, and staff. From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, your support has helped us achieve:

309,630 meals served
36,140 safe nights of rest provided
1,081 unique individuals served**
117 people successfully housed
445,210 total service interactions

These numbers meant so much more—they meant warmth on the coldest nights, meals when someone didn’t know where the next one would come from, a clear path toward stable housing, and moments of dignity and care when they were needed most.

We are, and always will be, deeply grateful.

But as one season ends, another challenge begins.

Starting April 1, our core funding from the City of London for daytime services at 696 Dundas St will be withdrawn. This represents approximately one-third of our operational funding, or over $1 million annually. This means essential services like meals, showers, clothing, washroom access, assessments, referrals, and system navigation will now rely entirely on donor support.

This change will result in the least amount of services our community has received in the past five years…and we are not alone. While the Ark is deeply impacted, many organizations across our city are also facing similar losses.

As a result, we are facing difficult but necessary service reductions over the coming weeks, which will be announced as they arise.

Effective today (March 24), we are closing 20 emergency cold weather response beds at Bishop-Cronyn Church.

Since opening on January 15, these beds have provided nearly 1,100 safe nights of rest, offering refuge from the harshest winter conditions. While we are incredibly proud of what this space has made possible, the reality is that freezing nights are not over, and fewer indoor options will now be available for those who need them most.

We cannot stress this enough: these services can literally mean the difference between life and death for many.

We need your help.

Whether you choose to donate, volunteer, speak with your city councillor, or simply share this message, you are making a real and immediate change in people’s lives.

Thank you for being part of a community that refuses to look away. 💛