THUNDER BAY – The long-term viability of the Shelter House’s Street Outreach Services program has been in question a few times over the past couple of years.
First, the program was suspended for four months last year while Shelter House worked to secure funding to continue its operation through the desperately needed winter months. Then, this January, a faulty transmission took their original, well-used vehicle out of commission.
The organization on Thursday took a monumental step forward in guaranteeing the future of the SOS program, unveiling their shiny, brand-new 10-seat van.
“We stopped the service April 1 last year and to come this far now and have a brand new van this year and our service still OK to run for the remainder of the year is pretty exciting,” Shelter House executive director Michelle Jordan said.
The SOS program operates daily from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., travelling through the city to provide food, water, clothing, blankets and harm reduction supplies to those out on the street. In 2016, the most recent year it was in operation for the full 12 months, the program’s staff members provided nearly 5,000 transports and distributed more than 21,000 items.
That approach of continually building relationships is crucial to helping the marginalized and vulnerable population that often struggles or is resistant to finding help, Jordan said.
“A lot of people are afraid and don’t know what will happen if they try to access services,” Jordan said. “This gives the teams a time to build a rapport with the clients that are out on the street and hopefully bring them in so we can get services for them.”
Shelter House staff member Joseph Everett, who works full-time inside the facility but picks up extra shifts driving the van when needed, was more than happy to have the new set of wheels.
“It makes a huge difference because you’re not worried about breaking down. You’re not losing shifts because the van is broken down,” Everett said.
“You’re out there helping the people when they need to be helped. Having a reliable vehicle makes a big difference.”
Shelter House was able to make the $50,000 purchase as a result of donations, including $20,000 from Matawa First Nations Management. Other contributors included the Thunder Bay Community Foundation, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and proceeds from a photo voice project organized by Leadership Thunder Bay.
Half-Way Motors Nissan partner Patrick Trevisanutto on Thursday had one more surprise, informing Shelter House that the dealership would be covering all of the van’s maintenance for four years.
“People know the work is very important in this community. We’re really thankful to have people on our side and in our corner,” Jordan said.
When their original van broke down, Roots to Harvest stepped up and provided Shelter House with their vehicle to keep the program operational through the first five months of the year.
Roots to Harvest executive director Erin Beagle said local, non-profit organizations can accomplish much more when they work together.
“Sharing resources helps a lot and I think it shows the community that when you give to Roots to Harvest or you give to Shelter House, other organizations are benefitting from that,” Beagle said.
“It’s not just staying in one spot. We are all able to come together. The impact of donating or of giving goes that much farther.”
