The most critical services

Published in WISH’s 2024-25 Annual Report

WISH began in 1984, when a Street Youth Worker became concerned about the safety of the street-based sex workers he was seeing in the neighbourhood at night. With space donated by a local church, he started a drop-in where workers could access the washroom, make free phone calls and have a cup of coffee.

The services WISH has provided have changed a lot over the years, but the common thread has been responding to the needs of the people we serve.

To remain responsive, and relevant, participant feedback is key. As WISH grappled with a significant reduction in services, InReach staff conducted 29 in-depth participant interviews to learn what hours are most critical for service delivery.

The urgent need for 24-hour support for street-based sex workers was a top recommendation in FORSAKEN: The Report of the Missing Women Commission, released in 2012. This essential safety measure has never been successfully implemented, but it underlines the urgent need for organizations like WISH to operate when others do not – overnight.

The vast majority of respondents (93%) confirmed that the best hours for the WISH Drop-In to operate are overnight. The most frequently used service among those surveyed was the Drop-In (86%).

In the top 5 services, participants also listed:

• clothing
• makeup & toiletries
• MAP Van
• bathrooms/showers

These responses underline how having a community space to gather can be as essential as frontline services.