THUNDER BAY - Part of building a strong community is ensuring that everyone feels welcome and the Thunder Bay Shelter House continues to strengthen connections with all people in the city, who in turn give back to help protect those who are most vulnerable.
“I love it because we want to recognize that we are part of the community,” said Michelle Jordan, executive director at Thunder Bay Shelter House. “Everybody should be part of the community, whether you are homeless, a child, an adult, a senior. It’s nice to see everybody come together and enjoy the day like this.”
On Saturday, Shelter House hosted a Block Party in support of its Street Outreach Service. The day included activities for kids, a barbeque, and the popular dunk tank.
And while everyone was enjoying the sunshine, some finely grilled burgers, and dunking city councilors in some cold water, the day was also about raising funds to keep the SOS program running.
The program, which assists vulnerable members of the community by providing clothing, food, water, and transportation to the shelter, requires $50,000 to continue to operate.
The Block Party included a 50/50 draw and raffle tickets for prizes and before the party even started, money was already flowing in.
Mario Nucci donated $1,000 last week and on Saturday, Fort William First Nation donated an additional $1,000, the Thunder Bay District Veterans Fund donated $500, and Matawa First Nations handed over a cheque for $10,000.
“We have a lot of our people that make use of Thunder Bay Shelter House,” said David Paul Achneepineskum, chief executive officer with Matawa First Nation Management. “It has been very successful in their programs and getting people off the street and getting people back home in our communities.”
Achneepineskum said there have been people from Matawa First Nations who have been helped by Shelter House and the SOS program and are now back home contributing to their communities.
“We have a lot of people out on the streets,” he said. “You want to make sure that none of our people are out there and caught in this heat. It’s a great way to get them to the shelter here. Once they get here, they are taken care of.”
Katriina Myllymaa, chair of Thunder Bay District Veterans Fund, said they too wanted to reach out to homeless veterans in the city and support programs that support them.
“Sometimes they are hard to find but the SOS program, they are out there and dealing with people on the streets so there may be an opportunity for them to help those people as well,” she said.
“I think it’s important for the community to be a part of helping people that are out there and for those of us that my be have a little bit more to give to those who don’t. It’s important to come together and be one group that supports everybody.”
Jordan said she couldn’t speculate on the future of the SOS program if the funding is not secured. The primary funder for the program is the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board, but it also relies on donations to cap the budget.
“I know people in the community love the SOS program,” she said. “They see what we are doing in action. When they call they know people are coming to help people who are in crisis. With weather like this today, it is vital that our service runs because the extreme heat is just as dangerous as extreme cold, especially for people who are homeless.”
Donations are still being accepted at the Thunder Bay Shelter House and on its website.
