Abrigo began with four full-time staff in 1990 as a resource for women and children facing abuse in the Portuguese community. Our agency soon became a registered charity and in 1993 became a member of the United Way Greater Toronto.

• In 1994 Abrigo began to expand its counselling services with the funding assistance of what was known then as the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. In 1996 Abrigo started our Partner Assault Response program to assist Portuguese-speaking men who were ordered by the court system to attend counselling sessions to address issues of abuse.
• In 1998 Abrigo started its very successful “Success by Six” program for new mothers and caregivers. Funding then and now from the United Way Greater Toronto keeps this program alive and vibrant in person or currently online during the pandemic.
• In 2007 Abrigo, along with Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto started a Father’s program to help men become better dads. This program continues to flourish today under this partnership.
• In 2010 a few seniors in the Portuguese language community came to Abrigo with the idea to start a new agency group specifically for seniors. Since that day the volunteer-led “Group Vida e Esperanca” or the “Life and Hope Group” have been an important part of the programming at Abrigo growing to more than 150 regular users.
• On July 31^st, 2012 the Abrigo Centre opens its doors to its new store-front space at 1645 Dufferin Street (our current location). That same year the Canadian Women’s Foundation provided a one-year then subsequently four-year grant to work with local high schools on targeting gender-based violence through an anti-abuse / healthy relationship three phase initiative. This quickly became known as the Teens Against Gender-Based Violence (TAG-V) program.
• University Health Network and its Portuguese Mental Health and Addictions Services department struck a formal agreement with Abrigo in April 2014 to start a co-facilitating an Integrated Behavioural Group Therapy (IBGT) program.
• The fall of 2017 saw the installation and grand opening of a new elevator that enabled full access to all to all the programing taking place on our second floor.
• The spring of 2020 saw Abrigo move to virtual counselling services because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This quickly became a revelation as many of our clients embraced phone or virtual counselling and appreciated the fact that they did not need to leave their residence to receive care and counselling.
• In 2021 a $110,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the overwhelming generous support of Manuel DaCosta, owner of Viana Roofing & Sheetmetal Inc., made the total renovation of our second floor a reality. Today, the seniors in our Life and Hope program have use of a new kitchen and multiple refurbished rooms with new furniture.
• In 2022 Abrigo reinstituted our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, a group made up of Abrigo staff members committed to building a safe and warm environment for all clients and visitors.
• Early 2024 saw the return of Abrigo annual fundraising gala after almost a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event entitled Inspire, Elevate and Empower raised $65,000 for the agency’s Gender-based Violence program.