Mary Vaccaro

I am a Faculty Member in the School of Social Work at McMaster University with a cross appointment to the YWCA Hamilton where I support developing organizational capacity for research and action.

I am a community-based researcher, using participatory and creative methods in my work. My research is focused on how we can co-create knowledge with communities to inform the delivery of health, housing and care services and programs that centre the needs of women and gender diverse people.

I am the coordinator of the Safer Drug Use Space and the Emergency Reproductive Care Bed Program at YWCA Hamilton.

My work is deeply informed by a decade spent working on the frontlines of gender specific emergency shelters and drop in programs for women, trans and non-binary people.