A woman you know may be experiencing homelessness.

For acclaimed Canadian artist Daniel Mazzone, that woman was his mother.

Daniel’s mother lived in a women’s shelter in downtown Toronto after his parents separated when he was young. She was all alone, didn’t speak English, and had nowhere else to go. Years later, after being homeless himself as a teen, Daniel reflected on the struggles his mother faced and began to challenge stereotypes associated with women experiencing homelessness to help restore their dignity.

“Maria” – Daniel’s portrait of a strong woman fighting to be heard weaves together famous female inventors and women demanding an equal voice. It was reproduced in partnership with Klick Health and Choice Properties as a four-story tribute to The Shoebox Project and the women they will support this holiday season.

The portrait can be viewed through the end of the year outside Klick’s headquarters at 175 Bloor Street East in Toronto – only a few blocks away from the shelter his mother lived in.