News release supplied by the Shelter House:
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Through the gracious funding of The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board and the City of Thunder Bay, Shelter House will continue operating the Street Outreach Services (SOS) Program until December 2015.
The SOS team, a highly trained and skilled team of compassionate people, is out on the road seven days a week from 2 p.m to 2 a.m. offering their services to homeless, marginalized and high risk individuals in our community.
Individuals are transported to services or locations that reduce risks the person may face from the elements or violence.
Since the SOS program began in December of 2014, there have been 1,440 transports averaging 130 transports per week.
The team traverses planned routes to ensure that high need areas are visited, and routes are updated as new encampments or outside sleeping areas are discovered. The team delivers amenities such as blankets, food, clothing, and other necessities, building relationships to encourage better use and trust of services.
The team answers calls from individuals, businesses, emergency service providers and other agencies.
These calls can be made by anyone wanting to help transport people to a safer, warmer location. The SOS team works closely with many agencies in the community including the Thunder Bay Police, Superior North EMS, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and
Balmoral Withdrawal Management Centre to ensure prompt access to services. The Thunder Bay Police Service and Superior North EMS respond to SOS calls if they need additional help.
Officers and paramedics have come to rely on the SOS Team when an enforcement or ambulance response is not necessary freeing up resources to respond to other emergency calls. The SOS program also supports the TBRHSC emergency room to free up beds for other use by transporting medically stable people to other services.
The Street Outreach Services phone number is 807-620-7678.
The mission of Shelter House is to provide short-term relief to those in need of shelter, food, clothing and access to resources to support their transition toward successful independent living.
Shelter House also forges community links, identifies gaps in service currently being provided for its clients by the community and acts as an advocate for change.
