Philip Quigley, chairman of the Truro Homeless Outreach Society, said there have been as many as 12 people calling the shelter home in the evening, but on average, eight or nine on a nightly basis.
“We’ve had well over 120 come through the shelter so far,” he said. “And we have had a lot of success in seeing people into their own places, or re-establishing them back in the community. That’s really what we’re about.”
For the past 16 months, the homeless shelter has been operating on a nightly basis out of the First United Church while work continues on a permanent shelter. It was announced in February the society now has the funds to move forward with the permanent home, but the society wasn’t sure if it would be a new build or an existing facility.
“We’ve looked at so many buildings already, but to get what we need, it would cost more to get what we don’t need,” admitted Quigley. “Everything we’ve looked at so far is on two or three levels, and from a safety point that’s not optimal. For our volunteer workers it’s not optimal, nor is it for some of the guests who stay there. We batted it around and decided we’d take that same money and build what we need.”
Nothing has been finalized yet, however, but work is being done on making the dream of a permanent shelter a reality.
Over the past couple of months, the society was able to hire a navigator, who helps people find homes of their own. They will also find services when needed, such as detox. Along with the navigator, the society has two summer students working for them, and a volunteer co-ordinator has also been hired.
The shelter, said Quigley, is still in need of assistance.
“We still need nighttime volunteers,” he said. “We always need nighttime volunteers.”
Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation can contact [email protected].
Twitter: @TDNRaissa