In 1984, WISH began as a Drop-In Centre for young men and women at St. Michael's Anglican Church as part of the Anglican Street Ministry for Youth. In 1986, after a 3-month closure, it reopened for women only.

The spring of 1987 marked a turning point for WISH when there was a concerted effort to eliminate prostitution in Mount Pleasant, using new prostitution laws resulting in termination of funding for the Anglican Street Ministry for Youth.

It was only through the generosity of the First United Church in donating space that WISH was able to survive. First United welcomed WISH on December 4, 1987 at Hastings and Gore, in the heart of the Downtown Eastside. In 1991 WISH was registered as a non-profit society and in 1998 it received charitable status with Revenue Canada. Since then the numbers have increased from 5 or 6 women a night to the present 150 to 200 women.

Our Future

We are pleased to announce that after much time, effort and broad support, the new WISH Wellness Centre opened on September 17, 2009.  This long awaited facility has been funded through the members of Vancity who voted to award WISH $1 million in November 2003, the City of Vancouver capital budget of 2005, a capital grant from the BC Gaming policy and Enforcement Branch, and a donation by Mr. Dave Ritchie through  the BC Women's Hospital Foundation, and a grant through the Central City Foundation.  Key in the success of opening up this centre was the decision of City Council, in December 2006, to lease 3500 square feet of the Police Garage to WISH for $1.00 per year for 10 years. 

The centre will be extending its hours to midnight each night and opening on Saturday nights as the first steps toward opeing overnight and, ultimately, 24/7.  Currently women involved in a new program at WISH are using the facility 3 days a week and our friends and allies have been using it during the day for meetings.  We will continue to seek sustainable funding to support opening overnignt and hope that a time will come in the not too distant future that WISH is able to welcome women to their safe space on a more extended basis.