Harmony House is Ottawa’s only second-stage women’s shelter for women and children fleeing violence. Unlike emergency shelters, Harmony House provides longer-term stays in fully furnished apartments, bridging the gap between crisis and independent living. Founded in 1986, the organization has supported over 2,500 families through personalized, trauma-informed care.

In addition to housing, Harmony House offers wraparound services including counselling, on-site childcare, financial literacy workshops, scholarships, and an in-house food bank for current and former residents. Their goal is not only to provide safety, but to break the cycle of violence by empowering families to heal, grow, and thrive. With nearly 80 per cent of funding reliant on community donations (and over 80 families waiting) your support makes a real and lasting impact.

You can visit their website here.

Charitable Registration Number: 886420199RR0001

Most women arriving at a shelter have had to flee quickly, bringing little to nothing with them. By the time she reaches Harmony House, she’s starting from scratch.

Harmony House consists of 16 fully furnished transitional units. When a woman (and her children) are ready to move into independent housing, they take everything from their unit with them, from the crib to the dishes to the toaster. This practice ensures she leave with more than safety, she leaves with dignity and a fresh start. As a result, Harmony House is constantly restocking apartments with essentials both big and small.

This digital wish list makes it easy for the community to help by donating toward real, practical needs, one item at a time. 100% of donations go directly to Harmony House.

The Harmony House Wish List is a project built by Clarence Charron and Brianna Hopkins, two Algonquin College public relationships students taking their skills, passion and talents into the Ottawa community to make a positive difference. Our class’ July 2025 campaign, Room to Bloom, is entirely student-led and guided by faculty advisors. This project is part of one of Canada’s most respected PR programs, which has raised over $600,000 for local nonprofits over the past 40 years—all without an initial budget.

At the end of the campaign, this website will be handed over to Harmony House, as a lasting gift to them. 

While we appreciate your generosity, Harmony House is unable to accept used items at this time. This wish list turns your donation into the equivalent value of that item, allowing staff to purchase exactly what’s needed, when it’s needed, without the challenge of storing duplicates or sorting through physical goods. Think of it like a gift registry, but even more flexible.

That’s great! But instead of buying the item yourself, we encourage you to donate the value. This helps Harmony House avoid duplicates and storage issues, and gives frontline staff the ability to respond in real time to each family’s specific needs. Nonprofits often have access to discounted rates and supplier relationships, so your donation goes further than you might think.

You don’t have to! Each item on this list is a symbolic donation for its approximate value. Harmony House’s staff will choose the right make and model based on availability, need, and budget. This ensures families get exactly what’s needed (without accidentally ending up with 100 toasters)!

Yes! When you add an item to your cart, you’ll have the option to include a short message to be passed along with your donation. Whether it’s a note of encouragement, a kind wish, or just a simple “you’ve got this,” your words can help a woman or child feel seen and supported.

Yes you can, and it’s a beautiful way to honour someone. During checkout, you’ll have the option to include a short message that can note who the donation is from, or who it’s in honour or memory of. Your gift helps build a new beginning, and your gesture makes it even more meaningful.

Absolutely! Harmony House’s main website offers several ways to give, whether you’d like to set up a monthly donation, make a legacy gift, sponsor as a business, donate a vehicle, or even host your own fundraiser. You can explore all the options and choose the one that’s right for you.

All donations made through this wish list go directly to Harmony House, a registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration Number: 886420199RR0001). For questions about tax receipts, we recommend reaching out to Harmony House directly. As students, we’re proud to power this campaign, but we’re not involved in the financial processing of donations.

Yes. All payments made through this website are secure and encrypted. We use Square and WooCommerce, trusted online payment platforms. Your information is never stored on this site, and 100% of your donation goes directly to Harmony House, a registered Canadian charity.

Both Square and WooCommerce follow strict security standards to protect your information. Payments are processed safely through secure third-party systems, so your data never passes through or is saved by the website itself. In short: your donation is protected, and your impact is real.

There are so many ways to support Harmony House beyond this wish list! You can attend one of our Room to Bloom campaign events, volunteer your time directly with Harmony House, or simply help spread the word.

Share this website, tell a friend, or post about it on social media—every action helps build a safer, stronger future for women and children in Ottawa.