Winter in Saskatoon

If you are in Saskatoon right now, you just survived a really cold snap and even though it has warmed up quite a bit, it is still cold outside.

Many people phone and e-mail and ask what do we do when it gets this cold.  Well we do a bunch of things to make sure that no one is left out in the cold.

• During the day we open our lounge up for clients so they can stay out of the cold.  While normally we close down the place for cleaning during the day, when it is this cold, it stays open all day so guys do not have to go outside.  As soon as the dorms and washrooms are cleaned, we open all of them back up for the men so they can have some more space to relax, catch up on some sleep, or read.
• People naturally assume that we get a lot busier when it gets this cold but generally it is a little quieter (people tend to hunker down and stay put when it is this cold).  If we do get busier, we would make available our entire building rather than refuse someone (we hate refusing anyone on the basis of space at the best of times but in the winter we make sure that no one is going to freeze).  Years ago I took a tour of an old Soviet submarine.  It had bunks on the engines and the torpedoes.  While the Centre doesn't have torpedoes, we will put a mattress and a bunk anywhere if it means that no one is left out in the cold.  If we do run out of room, we put clients up in local hotels.
• We work with Larson House and the Saskatoon City Police to ensure people who are intoxicated or high are taken care of if they do wander into our place.  Speaking of the Saskatoon City Police, officers do bring in people that do not have shelter or who have been found in shelter that isn't suitable for the weather outside.  We warm them up, give them suitable winter gear, and give them a safe place to sleep.  Outside of the city limits, the local RCMP does the same thing with hitchhikers.  They bring them down and we help them out.
• Our Clothing Cave is generally open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but in cold weather we outfit people any time they need it.  At both of our reception areas we have mitts, toques, scarves, socks, and thanks to the generous donations of the people of Saskatoon.
• While this doesn't happen just because it is really cold out, once the temperature starts to dip a bit, the kitchen staff bring out the porridge and oat meal.  Wilfred Brimley would be proud. When it is cold like this the kitchen tends to heap up the portions and serves bigger meals to compensate for the calories burned to stay warm.

Despite our best efforts, there are still people choosing to be outside this winter.  We know many of them through their past stays with us or through our drop in programs during the day and on the weekend evenings.  At every opportunity we invite them to come and stay with us or we work at finding other sleeping arrangements for them if we are not their best option.  It’s an ongoing process but one we continue to ensure that those who are in the cold have safe and warm accommodations during our winter.  Even for those who refuse our offers of warmth, we provide blankets, warm (or warmer) clothing and winter gear to help them keep warm.

If you are looking for a way to help, there are a couple things you can do to make a difference.

1. Donate.  Whether it be a financial donation or if you have a warm winter jacket, socks, toques, gloves, men's underwear (and long underwear) or a scarf, it all helps out.  You can drop off a donation at 339 Avenue C South anytime, day or night.  When it is this cold we give out the stuff as soon as it comes in so whatever you can give, our clients appreciate tremendously.
2. Direct people panhandling or who are in need to us.  At this temperature we do not turn anyone away and we work with the Ministry of Social Services to ensure all of their essential needs are met.  A warm bed and three and a half meals a day are provided (we provide a filling snack at night as well).  If the person needs a different agency or more help then we can offer, we keep them safe, warm, and comfortable while we arrange whatever help is needed.
3. Help spread the news about what we do.  Despite being here for over 100 years, some people don't know that there is a men's hostel in town or that we help women in emergency need.  We work hard at getting the word out but we can always use your help as well.

Nomadic Dwellings

This is being hosted by our neighbors at the aka gallery.

Folie/Culture presents: Nomadic Dwellings

Performances throughout Saskatoon:
October 20th to 23rd, 2009

Opening with artists in attendance:
October 23rd at 7pm

Quebec-based activist art group Folie/Culture, presents the architectural project Nomadic Dwellings in Saskatoon beginning October 20th, 2009. Began in 2007, the project calls on architects and artists to conceive nomadic dwellings for itinerants. The shelters had to be designed for one person, with materials that were easily found in Canada, inexpensive, and recyclable if possible. They also had to be reusable and easy to set up by one person alone.
Between October 20th and October 23rd, the artists involved will set up and display the works in several highly visible locations throughout the city. In the current climate of myopic boosterism for Saskatoon’s bourgeoning economy, this exhibition serves as a reminder of the social reality of itinerancy. As vacancy rates fall and rents increase, the most vulnerable among us fall through the cracks and are faced with the prospect of living without shelter.

While the project is not intended as a solution to the problem of homelessness, it does aim to increase awareness of the issue. Placing the architectural act in the everyday suggests a discomfiting social encounter that architects do not often rub up against. The paradoxical meeting of architecture and itinerancy reveals the degree of interconnectedness between these seemingly disparate sites within the social body.

Since 1984, Folie/Culture has facilitated contemporary art projects with a specific focus on awareness building in mental health. They encourage the work of artists who intervene in the field of social perceptions, engaging a public who may not otherwise encounter contemporary art.

Re-Zoning Approved!

The Salvation Army got approval from Saskatoon’s City Council tonight to rezone 341 Avenue T South to zoning that allow a short term emergency women’s shelter to be opened there.  This is a significant step for the Centre’s goals of having a safe place for women and children to go to when they are in crisis.

Thanks to all of the staff, officers, our realtor, city councilors, city employees, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, and our architect Ken Wilson for getting us this far.  After we get our building permits, we hope to be open by the time winter hits in 2009.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Captain Rhonda Smith at rhonda_smith@can.salvationarmy.org or the Residential Coordinator, Jordon Cooper jordon.cooper@salvationarmysaskatoon.org.  Both can be reached via phone at 306.244.6833.

Poverty Linked to Higher Health Care Costs

The Star Phoenix has a quick story on how a new study links poverty to higher health care costs.  I was asked to comment and you can read the entire article here.

Low-income Saskatoon residents are disproportionately more likely to visit a hospital, make use of expensive health services and take medication, says a study to be published Wednesday.

The paper, to be published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, is the first of its kind in Canada to link individual income levels to health survey information from Statistics Canada on a regional level, co-author Mark Lemstra says.

The study uses health and income data collected from 3,433 Saskatoon residents between 2000 and 2005. It confirms previous findings that low-income residents are more likely to use expensive health services, such as emergency rooms, and have poorer health overall.

Lemstra says more must be done to elevate low-income people to a middle-income range, which he says could save the province $179 million per year in health-care expenditures.

"You can't have a medical solution to non-medical problems," Lemstra said. "It costs an extra $179 million to ignore poverty."

The Salvation Army Community Centre and “wet shelters”

Earlier this week a story was published on CBC Saskatchewan that addressed a recent report (PDF) published by the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, interviewed 44 people who were having trouble finding housing..  Captain Rhonda Smith and I sat down with a reporter from CBC Radio and we addressed several of the issues that came up in the report that were relevant to our role as a shelter for men in Saskatoon.

When the story did come out, it focused on some comments I made about wet shelters.  The quotes made it look like we as a Centre were engaged in discussions about a wet shelter which is not accurate and was never the intent of my answer.  The greater context of the answer made it clear that the Salvation Army Community Centre is a drug and alcohol free shelter and as a “dry shelter”, we were the wrong people to ask about the effectiveness of wet shelters.  I suggested that the people to talk to about wet shelters were the Saskatoon Health Region and more specifically Larson House.  When the story was published, I was disappointed that the article did not share the broader context of our conversation and it gave the impression that we were actively engaged in discussions about a wet shelter in Saskatoon when we are not.

For over 100 years in Saskatoon, the Salvation Army has been providing assistance to people with a variety of social and spiritual needs.  The Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon continues this practice by offering a alcohol and drug free environment for the community to take come to and receive food, shelter, emergency services, budget management, and spiritual care.

Clients who do choose to drink or consume drugs are referred to Larson House or in the case of extreme intoxication, are picked up by the Saskatoon City Police (or if it is in their best medical interests, we call an ambulance and they are given medical care). 

While the vast majority of the 18,000+ beds we served up in 2008 were used by men wanting a drug and alcohol free shelter, some of our clients are determined to continue to consume drugs and alcohol on a consistent basis.  For those clients we work with them in finding other places to reside and in extreme cases, we ask that they do find other places to reside other than our facility for the safety of our staff and other clients. 

If you have any questions about this or any other manner, don’t hesitate to call the Centre at 306.242.6833 or e-mail jordon.cooper@salvationarmysaskatoon.org or our Executive Director at rhonda_smith@can.salvationarmy.org.

Homelessness in Canada

The Salvation Army released their national study on homelessness today.  According to Canwest News Service

According to the survey, almost all shelter users said they want to move into permanent housing, while nearly half reported mental health problems or alcohol or drug addictions.

On average, shelter users have been homeless for three years and the lack of affordable low-income housing has resulted in emergency shelters becoming long-term housing replacements, Harris said.

"It becomes more of a longer term response than it should be," Harris said. "Instead of people being there for a couple of weeks to get back on their feet, they end up being there for a longer period of time because there aren't employment supports or housing supports — things they need to move and transition back from the shelters into the communities."

The Salvation Army provides nearly 6,400 emergency and short-term housing beds for men, women and families each night, accounting for one-quarter of all shelter beds in Canada.

The full survey can be found online here (PDF)

Salvation Army Emergency Shelter for Women and Children

Back in early 2008, the Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon recognized the need for an emergency women and children's shelter in Saskatoon.  The YWCA was constantly full and a booming Saskatoon economy meant that it was harder and harder to find emergency accommodations in Saskatoon.  In 2008 alone, the Salvation Army Emergency After Hours helped women and children in crisis with 2509 hotel rooms.

After a lot of hard work with the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Government of Saskatchewan, and other agencies, we secured capital and operational funding for the project.  Since the process started a year ago we have been looking almost daily for property that would best serve women and children in need.  The same conditions that made the need so visible (the booming economy and real estate market) made it hard to find an appropriate location but we finally found one that will allow to house up to ten families a night on an emergency basis.

Pending a successful rezoning, the project will be open to women and families in the spring of 2009.  Thanks to the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Ministry of Social Services, and other individuals and agencies that have helped us get this far.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact Jordon Cooper (Residential Coordinator) or Captain Rhonda Smith (Executive Director).  Both can be reached at 242.6833.

Government of Canada Announces $450,000 in support for the Emergency Women’s Shelter in Saskatoon

The Government of Canada announced a $450,000 contribution through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy for the Salvation Army Community Centre to open a women’s shelter on Friday.

Canada’s Government is helping families and individuals in Saskatchewan break free from the cycles of homelessness and poverty and build a stronger future for themselves.

Mr. Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Souris–Moose Mountain, today announced investments in 12 projects in Saskatchewan under the Government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS).

“Our government is delivering on our commitment to help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. We are proud to support community efforts that help find local solutions to local issues,” said Mr. Komarnicki, who made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “By investing over $1.7 million in these 12 projects across Saskatchewan, we are supporting community efforts to help those in need.”

The announcement took place at the Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon, a shelter, food provider and drop-in centre. The organization is receiving HPS funding to help create 42 emergency shelter beds and six temporary cots for women and children. Individuals will benefit by having a safe place to live in which they can access support services and transition out of homelessness.

“The Salvation Army Women’s Shelter will provide a safe and supportive environment for women and children in times of crisis, empowering women to take the necessary steps to obtain safe, secure and long-term stable housing for themselves and their families,” said Captain Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the Salvation Army Community Centre.

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy provides funds over two years to help communities across Canada combat homelessness. The HPS recognizes that housing stability is essential to self-sufficiency and full participation in Canadian society. The Strategy focuses on transitional and supportive housing as important measures to help people overcome homelessness. With its clear goals of improved partnerships, enhanced sustainability and tangible results, HPS will provide concrete, meaningful and lasting results for Canadians in need.

“Our government is investing more in affordable and supportive housing than any other federal government in Canada’s history and, as a result, we are helping tens of thousands of Canadians who are especially vulnerable in the current economic environment,” said Mr. Komarnicki.

The link between homelessness and mental illness is well established. In 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the first-ever Mental Health Commission of Canada. In Budget 2008, the Government committed $110 million for the Commission to develop new, innovative demonstration projects to help Canadians facing mental health and homelessness.

Technorati Tags: Homelessness Partnering Strategy,Government of Canada,Ed Komarnicki,Salvation Army Community Centre,Salvation Army,Saskatoon

Saskatoon Homeless Count Fact Sheet

For those of you who have not seen this, this is the results of the Saskatoon Homeless Count. Done by CUISR on May 22, 2008Saskatoon Homeless Count Fact Sheet

Get your own at Scribd or explore others: Politics Activism homeless saskatoon

In the news...

The Salvation Army in Saskatoon has been in the news lately.  Here are some of the stories that we have been a part of.

• We had a very successful Red Shield Luncheon
• Major Len Millar was quoted as saying that homelessness is at crisis levels in Saskatoon. 

"In Saskatoon the men's hostel has been full to capacity all summer, and almost all year. It is filled to overflowing,'' Millar said. Last weekend the Salvation Army, which is contracted by the province to provide emergency shelter services in Saskatoon, couldn't find enough beds to meet the demand. All the hotels were booked solid.  "The lack of emergency shelter beds is something that needs to be addressed by everybody in Saskatoon. We are looking at alternates right at the moment.''

Homelessness Count 2008

The Community University Institute for Social Research needs your help!

On May 22, 2008, the Institute will be conducting a homeless count in specific areas of downtown Saskatoon. The results will passed along to policy-makers and outreach workers with the hope of augmenting services.

For more information or to volunteer, please e-mail: homelesscount2008@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: CUISR,Saskatoon,homelessness

Funding for shelters in Prince Albert and Moose Jaw

The Salvation Army in Prince Albert was awarded a grant of $300,000 to help construct a facility to house women between the ages of 16 and 30.  In Moose Jaw, the Hope Inn — purchased, renovated and furnished by the Salvation Army through a $238,280 grant from the federal government — will be a safe place for people age 16 to 24 to live while going through treatment for addictions

Technorati Tags: Prince Albert,Moose Jaw,Salvation Army