Welcome Anita Schipper! Thanks Trillium and Miggsie!
With the infusion of capacity-building grants from Ontario Trillium Foundation and Miggsie Fund – Lawson Foundation, Unity Project is thrilled to announce the return of a beloved former staffer and volunteer, Anita Schipper, as Annual Giving Officer.
“The crisis of homelessness here in London is desperate,” says Schipper, “The deep compassion for our cause in this community drives me to make equally deep connections amongst us, and together we can help truly marginalized folks for relief of homelessness.”
Don’t be surprised if you hear from Anita in the coming months, and feel free to reach out to connect.

August is always a big month for Unity Project as we commemorate our origins as a Tent City protest on August 12, 2001. This year’s 21st Anniversary went by without much ado, as there was real life action in the community in which we live – hip hip hoooray #TheForgotten519! The motivation for systems change is running high and we hope that this month’s momentum will carry on and help solve homelessness for good.
Unity Project turns 21!
It’s been an eventful 21 years! We’ve been through many challenges, successes, losses and gains over the past 21 years… Here’s to continuing to fight to end the experience of homelessness in London! Thank you for your heartfelt support. We love you all.
Here is our short film from last year’s 20th Anniversary , where Silvia Langer and Chuck Lazenby reflect on the history of our organization.

Summertime and the Livin’ is (NOT) Easy.
Summer. It is the golden season for many. But for those experiencing homelessness, it can bring its own special miseries… exposure to sizzling heat, sun and stifling humidity, a risk of respiratory distress, as well as dehydration.
Give a helping hand, no matter the season.

The Forgotten 519
On August 1st, 2022, a coalition of frontline workers, healthcare professionals and community members serving people living with homelessness in London launched a hunger strike surrounding demands for the City to more thoroughly address the crisis of homelessness and poverty.
Unity Project and many other community groups stood in solidarity. On August 5, the City of London and The Forgotten 519 reached an agreement, with some responses enacted immediately and others rolled out in stages.
Unity Project in the news
- Megan Stacey, London Free Press, “Shelter officials speak out after tribunal dismissed tower challenge”: https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/tower-fight-put-spotlight-on-lack-of-housing-for-poor-working-class-unity-project
- Rebecca Zandbergen, CBC London Morning, Interview with Chuck Lazenby about The Forgotten 519: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-158-london-morning?fbclid=IwAR2ehg8g7mnQ9TlCEAR7nQ5d8b3wNLTvc_HSwgluY8yHmYY_s2Jf-D1tpXE