About Start Me Up Niagara

Start Me Up Niagara offers services and programs to individuals who face significant life challenges to provide them with opportunities to stabilize, participate and grow.

Start Me Up Niagara Working Together Moving Forward AGM

Working Together, Moving Forward

At Start Me Up Niagara, we offer services to support people facing significant challenges such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, disabilities, substance use and compromised mental health.

Our goal is to provide opportunities for these individuals to help them increase their level of self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life.

Our services range from access to healthy food options, health care, crisis clothing and community lunches; a fully functional bike shop, art activities, gardening program and employment services. Together, we are working to build a community where all are included.

Start Me Up Niagara is a not-for-profit organization and registered charity. Charity Registration Number: 896011715RR0001

Learn More About Us

Our History       Our Staff         Board of Directors         Funders & Donors         Jobs

Our Mission

Start Me Up Niagara works with individuals facing significant life challenges such as addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and unemployment. We provide opportunities to improve health, increase community integration and support employment.

Our Values

  • We strive to assist our clients to improve their quality of life and to take personal responsibility for their own well-being.
  • We believe individuals have the right to set their own goals and define success.
  • We believe that active, committed partnerships with people who use services, and other community sectors are integral to success.
  • We believe that healthy communities are inclusive and stronger when all have a place and chance to contribute.
  • We are committed to removing service access barriers for those who have multiple complex needs.

Our Vision

A society where all people are included, healthy, and self-sufficient.

Participant Pathway

Start Me Up Niagara operates on the following pillars to meet our mission of providing individuals who face significant life challenges with opportunities to stabilize, participate and grow.

Stabilization

Stabilization is the first step toward an improved quality of life. Includes meeting basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, income, health care and social interaction.

Participation

Participation is about building natural social supports, joining an activity, volunteering, trying something new. All improve community integration levels and maintain stability. Start Me Up Niagara relies on the support of more than 300 volunteers each year.

Growth

Growth is about setting goals, developing social and work skills, earning income, and moving toward self sufficiency and a better quality of life.

Start Me Up Niagara currently resides on the traditional home to many First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples. The land is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This land acknowledgement is important: it reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people in our community – and indeed across the nations.

  • For the past six years, I have been Wayne's patron. He is unfailingly skillful as a techie, and he charges reasonable prices for new bikes. Moreover, he is good humored and welcoming. Bike Me Up is a positive, important aspect of St. Catharines. I assert the lion's share of the credit rests on Wayne's shoulders.
    Victor Fic
  • This is to express my gratitude for all the time and resources you spent helping me secure a job. My family and I are forever grateful for your guidance, care, and patience throughout these very difficult seven months without a job. Hopefully, this Job will be the beginning of greater opportunities.
    Innocent

Support Our Work

Your donations go directly to frontline service and supports for our participants who experience homelessness and other mental health and addictions issues.

Donate Now