IWD 2026: Give to Gain

Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day and the 2026 theme is 'Give To Gain.’

When we give, we gain, so together we can forge gender equality through abundant giving. The IWD 2026 Give To Gain Campaign encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration. It emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.

Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time, contributing to women's advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world.

At Home Suite Hope (HSH) we work to move single parents (primarily women) and their children from homelessness or precarious housing to stability – from poverty to prosperity.

HSH’s traditional Homeward Bound Halton program is a four-year program. It first stabilizes a family with housing, childcare, support, even academic upgrading and then moves the single parent through a two-year bursary diploma program usually at Sheridan College, but sometimes in skilled trades or other educational settings. It is followed by employment search support and aftercare – all while providing wraparound support and counselling for the family as they make the journey from poverty to stability.

HSH has also more recently entered a partnership with the local women’s shelter, Halton Women’s Place, thanks to a provincial government grant, to jointly offer a new program called Haven to Home. It aims to move women and their children from the shelter into housing so they can rebuild their lives.

As HSH receives no government funding apart from grants and therefore relies mostly on fundraising and donations, the giving of the donors, supporters, volunteers and others across the community is integral to the success stories of its participants.

In celebration of IWD 2026, the YWCA Hamilton hosted its 2026 Women of Distinction Awards March 5.

The nominees for the YWCA Hamilton's milestone 50th annual Women of Distinction Awards, include 73 exceptional women and girls from the Hamilton and Halton communities across nine award categories. These leaders, innovators, and trailblazers are creating legacies that will shape the future of the community. 

Among them was HSH Executive Director Sara Cumming, nominated in the Public Service category.

The Awards honour women and girls whose leadership and impact create lasting change in Hamilton and Halton.

Other nominees include those across a variety of categories such as: Arts & Culture; Community Champion; Education/Training; Health/Wellness; Innovation in Business; Public Service and Stem/Trades as well as Young Trailblazer and Lifetime Achievement.

Sara was nominated in the Public Service category, which honours a woman who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and impact in her role serving the public good in the community.

As a community leader, Sara shows compassion and ethical responsibility in her service to others.

Sara champions inclusivity and equity and makes significant contributions that enhance the lives of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.

A Word from Sara

Thank you so much for this incredible honour of nomination. I am reminded that no one arrives at a moment like this alone. This recognition for public service reflects the strength, resilience, and generosity of the many women who have shaped my life and the countless women I’ve had the privilege to walk beside.

I arrived at this destination as the daughter of a 16-year-old single mother, and as the 22 year old girl already raising babies alone, who didn’t always believe she belonged in academic spaces. I am here because of the mentors who saw possibility in me long before I did. These women reached back to lift me up and showed me that transformation is never an individual achievement — it is a community effort.

This award also belongs to the 118 single mothers who have gone through Home Suite Hope’s program. These women are fierce, determined, and courageous — rebuilding their lives while holding their children’s futures in their hands. They are a daily reminder that poverty is not a personal failing; it is a structural issue we must confront together.

I also want to acknowledge the hundreds of women in Kenya I’ve had the honor to work with — women fighting gender inequality at levels that are difficult for many of us in Canada to fully comprehend. Their strength, their leadership, and their refusal to be silenced are powerful lessons in resilience and resistance. They inspire me, and they deepen my commitment to global solidarity and equity.

To my nine remarkable female staff members — thank you for turning ideas into impact with compassion and integrity every single day. And to my four beautiful daughters, two of whom were with me lastnight — you have grown up watching me balance motherhood, scholarship, and community work. You are my grounding force, my motivation, and my greatest source of pride.

And finally, a special thank you to Adine Carter from Argo Development. Even after only recently collaborating, you took the time to write this nomination. That act of generosity reflects exactly what women supporting women looks like.

This award nomination represents what becomes possible when determination meets community. When we lift one woman, we lift families, neighborhoods, and generations.

Sara

Give To Gain is a worldwide call to contribute. What will you Give to Gain gender equality?