Welcome Inn Community Centre of Hamilton is a registered charity (107690992 RR 0001) located in the North End of the City of Hamilton. Welcome Inn is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Audited financial statements and annual reports are available on request. Welcome Inn Community Centre fosters community resilience in children and families, adults and seniors through education and relationship.

Vision of Welcome Inn

In partnership with others we will dedicate ourselves to combat the poverty of exclusion and loneliness. We will foster healing and justice, trusting in the mystery of faith.

Mission of Welcome Inn

Welcome Inn, is a Mennonite-sponsored community center, in which all people are celebrated and loved unconditionally, enabled to give as well as receive. We are a caring community where people are challenged to grow in self-esteem and respect for other. Essential to our mission is service to others.

Brief History of Welcome Inn Community Centre

1966 - Began as an outreach of Hamilton Mennonite Church providing friendship to people isolated by poverty in Hamilton's North End. Mennonite Voluntary Service Workers volunteered at least 2 years of time to serve as the staff. Menno and Margarethe Ediger served as ‘house parents'. Programs for children and their mothers were central to Welcome Inn's ministry.

1971 - Urban renewal forced Welcome Inn to move around the corner and down the street to a large house where voluntary service workers lived on the top floor and programs and services held on the main floors. Community building events such as the horse picnic, family camping, men's and women's groups as well as small group Bible studies formed the core of programming. Hugo and Doreen Neufeld began serving as leaders.

1978 - Monthly Sunday evening worship services began due to the desire of an active Bible study group. In 1981, the first Sunday morning worship service and Sunday School began and marked the beginnings of Welcome Inn Church.

1983 - The former Eastwood Baptist Church was purchased at 40 Wood St. E. Voluntary Service workers continued to be an integral part of Welcome Inn while living in community in the neighbourhood. Programs for men, women and children were friendship oriented and focused on giving as well as receiving.

1989 - Harry Nigh assumed leadership as both pastor and director. Extensive renovations over the next 15 years changed the building into what it is today. Voluntary Service workers were an important part of this community until 2003. Welcome Inn began to provide supportive programming for seniors which is still offered to this day. This program provides a meal, program and weekly visits to over 100 seniors.

1991 - An Emergency Food Pantry began providing a 24-hour supply of food to people in need. Today over 8,000 people access this service every year.

1998 - As Welcome Inn grew, the Board of Directors recognized a need for more administrative services. Thus, Michael Hannigan became the Executive Director of the Community Centre and Harry Nigh remained pastor of Welcome Inn Church. Woodworking for men, crafts and cooking for women, clubs for kids of all ages, activities for seniors, and worship for anyone continued to fulfill the vision of combating the poverty of loneliness and exclusion.

2000 - Learning and Fun (LAF) After School Program began to provide after-school tutoring to children from Bennetto and St. Lawrence Schools. Over 100 students from McMaster University serve as mentors to the 70 children who participate every week. A partnership with the Hamilton Optimist Club provides healthy snacks.

2003 - Adventures in Art began with the vision of the last voluntary service worker. This club provides the opportunity for pre-teens to develop skills and improve their self-confidence through visual arts.

2004 - Donna Jean Forster assumed leadership as Executive Director and Marvin Friesen became pastor of Welcome Inn Church. Together with the present staff we have carried forth a vision rooted in history to foster community resilience through education and relationship.

2006 - Celebrating 40 years of Welcome Inn's presence in Hamilton has created an opportunity to look back as well as a great deal of excitement in looking forward to establishing a new program to assist people in using their own and the community's assets to strengthen their family.

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