Our Purpose

At Dignity 1st, we believe everyone deserves dignity, stability, opportunity, and a place to belong—especially during life’s most challenging transitions.
Dignity 1st supports people navigating significant life challenges, including those experiencing housing insecurity, homelessness, system involvement, or major transitions. Our work serves a wide range of individuals, including young women, people with disabilities, and others facing systemic barriers to independence and long-term stability.

Our current programs focus on hands-on life-skills training, including small-group, in-house cooking programs that help participants build practical skills in cooking, budgeting, and nutrition. These foundational skills support daily living while preparing individuals for future employment opportunities.
We are actively working toward the launch of social enterprises that will offer supportive, paid work for people facing barriers to traditional employment. Revenue generated through these enterprises will be reinvested directly into the nonprofit and the people we serve, allowing us to expand programming and increase our impact.

Affordable and supportive housing is part of our long-term vision, not a current program offering. By prioritizing skills development, employment pathways, and sustainable social enterprises, Dignity 1st is intentionally building the foundation required to one day support a financially responsible, community-rooted, and client-centred housing initiative.

Find Support. Partner With Us. Help Build Pathways Forward.