Cold weather shelter hosts information session for volunteers

The Out of the Cold shelter for homeless men at Grace Presbyterian Church is recruiting volunteers to meet the great need that will exist when the shelter opens in the New Year.

On Tuesday, December 20, there will be an information session at the uptown church for interested volunteers.

When it first opened last January, the shelter was supposed to operate for up to 10 of the coldest nights of the winter. It ended up being open for nearly 60 days because of poor weather conditions, creating a heavy workload for a dedicated but relatively small group of volunteers. This year, the committee is creating a bigger team.

“We found we couldn’t turn people away just because it wasn’t cold enough,” said Fern Bennett. “When the homeless have a face, you do what you can to make a difference. These people are someone’s sons, brothers, fathers. If everyone does a little, we can do a lot.”

Last year, Out of the Cold housed 30 men over the course of three months. Forty-five volunteers helped out in various ways, from cooking meals to doing evening and overnight shifts at the shelter.

“It was a very rewarding experience for volunteers,” said Mark Leger, Coordinator of the Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee. “Yes, they helped people who needed shelter from the cold. But the volunteers also got to know the men as well. They formed a bond that was good for the volunteer and the guys who came mainly for a warm meal and a safe, warm place to sleep.”

The orientation and information session will take place at 7 pm at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 101 Coburg St. (use the entrance on the Hazen Street side of the church). If you would like more information, or can’t make the session but want to get involved, please contact:

Fern Bennett, Volunteer Coordinator, Out of the Cold. Phone: 645-9208. E-mail: sj.makepovertyhistory@yahoo.ca

Mark Leger, Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee. Phone: 636-8541. E-mail: mark@sjhdc.ca

Photo caption: The volunteer team on the first night the shelter opened in January, 2011.

Province provides $50,000 for youth homeless facility

The provincial government is providing financial support to the Saint John Youth House, a planned housing facility for homeless and at-risk youth. The facility will become part of a co-ordinated effort to provide housing and support services to the nearly 200 homeless youth in the Greater Saint John area.

“We are proud to support the work of the youth house,” said Saint John Harbour MLA Carl Killen. “I commend the co-ordinators and volunteers for their tireless and unwavering dedication to provide a brighter future for the youth of this region. Today’s investment will pay dividends later as we continue to focus on building the social and economic progress that New Brunswickers expect, deserve and need.”

Killen attended the announcement at the Teen Resource Centre in Saint John on behalf of Economic Development Minister Paul Robichaud. The announcement was made before 100 area youth assembled for a conference on homelessness.

The Regional Development Corporation is investing $50,000 to support the facility.

“We appreciate the province’s support on this very important initiative for homeless youth in Saint John,” said Saint John Youth House Board chair Paul Ranson. “Too many of our young people have no stable places to live. The province – along with other funding partners in the community – is providing the support we need to get this housing project underway.”

The project is an initiative of the Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee, an inter-agency group that works on collaborative solutions to homelessness. It includes representatives from the federal and provincial governments, youth-serving organizations and area churches.

Bruce Macfarlane, Regional Development Corporation. Phone: 444-4606.

Colin McDonald, project co-ordinator, Saint John Youth House. Phone: 721-4781. E-mail: colin@sjhdc.ca

Photo caption: Saint John Mayor Ivan Court, Saint John Youth House board chair Paul Ranson, project coordinator Colin McDonald, steering committee coordinator Mark Leger, project advisor Brendan Bates, and Saint John Harbour MLA Carl Killen.

Sea Dogs support campaign to end homelessness

The Saint John Sea Dogs are showing their support for the Raising the Roof National Toque campaign for homeless youth in Saint John and across the country. On Wednesday, November 30, members of the Sea Dogs were presented with the toques and pose for a team photograph. The toques cost $10 each. Eighty per cent of the proceeds will go to Saint John Youth House, a planned housing facility for homeless and at-risk youth in Saint John. The remaining 20 per cent will help support initiatives across the country.

“This campaign brings added financial resources to address an important issue in this community,” said Colin McDonald, Project Coordinator for Saint John Youth House. “It also raises awareness about youth homelessness in Saint John, and across the country.”

On Sea Dogs TV, Nathan White interviewed Sea Dogs players and Saint John Youth House coordinator Colin McDonald about the toque campaign.

Raising the Roof is a national charity whose mission is to bring about long-term solutions to homelessness. Much of their work is focused on engaging frontline community agencies, corporations, governments, youth and the general public in strategic, collective efforts to alleviate homelessness across Canada.

The Toque Campaign brings together communities – big and small – in a collective effort to “put a cap” on youth homelessness. Past campaign sales have allowed Raising the Roof to grant almost $3.3-million to 145 local community agencies serving the homeless across the country. There are an estimated 65,000 homeless youth across the country. In Saint John, there are approximately 200.

The Saint John Youth House project is an initiative of the Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee, an inter-agency group that works on collaborative solutions to homelessness in Saint John.

For more information, please contact:

Nathan White, Marketing/Communications Manager, Saint John Sea Dogs. Phone: 632-8154. E-mail: nbwhite@gmail.com

Colin McDonald, Project Coordinator, Saint John Youth House. Phone: 721-4781. E-mail: colin@sjhdca.ca

 

Thirty years of Housing Alternatives

As part of National Housing Week public awareness activities, the community celebrated the 30th anniversary of Housing Alternatives. Over the course of 30 years, the organization has greatly enriched the non-profit and cooperative housing community in Saint John. It provides a range of services, including property management, maintenance, and bookkeeping. Housing Alternatives currently manages 550 units in Saint John. The anniversary celebration took place Nov. 25 at St. Andrew and St. David Church on Germain St. To view more pictures of the event, check out the collection posted on Facebook.

 

 

Hemmings House produces video on youth homelessness

There are nearly 200 homeless youth in Saint John. A working working group that includes representatives from youth-serving organizations and area churches is currently working on establishing an emergency housing facility to complement and strengthen existing housing and support services for homeless youth. The Saint John Youth House project is an initiative of the Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee. Hemmings House, a local TV and film production company, created the following public awareness video about youth homelessness in Saint John.

Coverdale raises awareness about impacts of family violence

The Coverdale Centre for Women is hosting a series of public awareness events about the impacts of family violence as part of the international Purple Ribbon campaign. At least 70 per cent of women that go to Coverdale are victims of family violence, said Coverdale board chairwoman Patricia Allan-Clark in an interview with the Telegraph-Journal. Members of the general public are invited to attend the following events organized by Coverdale and its community partners.

Thursday, Dec. 1: Family Violence and the Effects with Hestia House 12:15 pm, Coverdale Centre, 148 Waterloo St.

Friday, Dec. 2: A Discussion with Domestic Violence Outreach Services. 12:15 pm, Coverdale Centre, 148 Waterloo St.

Monday, December 5: Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence. 12:15 pm, Coverdale Centre, 148 Waterloo St.

 Tuesday, December 6: A March to Raise Awareness of Family Violence. 7 pm. March begins at Coverdale Centre and ends at King’s Square.

For more information contact Lynda Hanson at 634-0858 or Soleil Leger 634-1275.

The Abbey: ‘A real sense of community here’

The Abbey is a new mixed-income housing development in Saint John. Mark Leger of the Human Development Council (HDC) recently interviewed two residents of the new building in the city centre, Amy Ferguson and Rick Smith. These interviews will eventually become part of a larger video feature story on the Abbey that will be released when the Abbey hosts its grand opening. More videos on social issues in Saint John can be found on HDC’s web site.