Survey link: https://rb.gy/vvbkvc

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Home Is Where the Heart Is, a project being led by Naomi’s Family Resource Centre and funded by the Women’s Foundation of Canada, seeks to understand the extent to which the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted the lives of Ontario women, especially rural and farm women. Many women have experienced tremendous setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from impacts on their personal life due to loss of contact with friends and family through to the loss of economic independence because of lockdowns, restrictions on accessing services, and isolation protocols resulting in the loss of employment and income. Ontario women living in small towns, rural areas and on farms are often at greater risk of isolation, loneliness, and issues regarding personal safety due to the unstable nature of rural and agricultural economies, geographic isolation, lack of services available in the community, and due to more cultural and economic constraints.

This project seeks to engage with and hear from all Ontario women aged 16 and older, and in particular those living in small towns, rural areas and on farms to learn about their experiences over the COVID-19 Pandemic, how their lives were affected, and to learn about the issues and challenges they faced when they tried connecting with family or friends, or when reaching out for help or support from community services.

No login is required to complete the survey, and no personal information is being collected, the survey is completely anonymous! Women aged 18 and over are invited to complete a short, anonymous survey via Google Forms. The survey is easy to complete and doesn’t require sharing any login or personal information. The link to the survey is: https://forms.gle/ywUXTmcCjjzsbHvv8 

Survey feedback will help Naomi’s Family Resource Centre as well as other community-based services (i.e., women’s resource centres, women’s shelters, community support services, health and social services, etc.) develop and deliver inclusive, culturally appropriate resources that best suit the needs of women seeking help in their community.

A final project report, including a summary of survey responses and identified service gaps will be submitted to Naomi’s Family Resource Centre and the Women’s Foundation of Canada in late March 2023.