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Shelter House suspends SOS Program

The suspension of the program is to protect the health and safety of clients, staff, and volunteers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOS Program

THUNDER BAY - The Thunder Bay Shelter House is temporarily suspending its SOS Program amid concerns over COVID-19. 

In a release issued on Tuesday, Shelter House said the service will be suspended as of Tuesday, March 24. 

“We thought with all the closures, it was best we discontinue that service up until this kind of ends,” said Shelter House executive director, Michelle Jordan. 

Shelter House will continue to work with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to continue supporting the community through the emergency shelter and feeding program. 

The SOS Program was created to assist vulnerable people on the street and included a van service that delivered food and clothing to those in need. 

But Jordan said all services at the Shelter House are being impacted by the onoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We do have people that work for us that live with people who have compromised immune systems or they themselves may have compromised immune systems, so we are trying to figure all that out and how we can keep our services going with a skeleton crew staff,” she said. 

Shelter House has 70 staff including managers, casual workers, and administration staff. The SOS program includes two full time staff and three part-time. 

“We have to coordinate and make sure we can run our programs, so the extra staffing from SOS will definitely help,” Jordan said. 

The volunteer pool is also being limited at the location on George Street and Jordan said there are concerns going forward when it comes to donations and what it will mean for the Shelter going forward. 

“People aren’t going to be able to give money to non-profits with all of this going on,” she said. “It’s really scary to think about sustainability for us right now.”

On Tuesday, the provincial government announced $200 million in funding for social services across Ontario, including homeless shelters. 

“We are definitely needing more funds to keep doing what we are doing,” Jordan said. “We want to be able to pay our staff, we want to be able to purchase food, and all the stuff we typically do. Right now it is very difficult because we are adjusting our services.” 

Shelter staff are also working to protect and educate their clientele about the risks of COVID-19 and extra precautions are being taken including mandatory hand washing and extra cleaning at Shelter House.

“We have had a few people who have had to isolate themselves due to illness. Not with COVID-19, but ill and not able to come into work because we don’t want the spread of any germs right now,” Jordan said. 

“We are trying really hard to explain to them the severity of the situation so they do stay inside and practice social distancing.”



Doug Diaczuk

About the Author: Doug Diaczuk

Doug Diaczuk is a reporter and award-winning author from Thunder Bay. He has a master’s degree in English from Lakehead University
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