As the cold weather sets in, another load of donations land on the doorstep of the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax.
“I would say right now it feels like almost everybody is just a little bit closer to being in need of our services then maybe they were the year before or the year before that,” says Lauren Goerz, the organization’s donor care specialist.
“We definitely have a variety of single parents, we have those who are may be newcomers to Nova Scotia.”
Halifax’s homeless population has grown to more than 1,000 people. Last month, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston acknowledged there will be some who sleep outside this winter. Jacob Hicks hopes he isn’t one of them
“We don’t have enough room in shelters to house all the homeless.” Hicks is one of about 30 people at a tent encampment in Lower Sackville.
For those who can’t find a winter home, organizations like Souls Harbour are there to help, but they rely heavily on the generosity of others to keep their shelves stocked.
“I’ve read about and heard about a number of drives out there for coats and footwear and socks and things so that’s good too,” says resident manager, Will Radford.
“It’s been said before, a lot of us charities, we are willing to step up and provide the manpower,” adds CEO, Michelle Porter. “We will do what we can to help, but our funds are obviously very limited to what people donate and we are using those resources every day.”
The need goes beyond clothes; they also dish out hundreds of meals a day.
“In Halifax, we prepare up to 200 meals a day. Across the province, Souls Harbour serves 400 meals a day, and we like it to be hot and nourishing and filling,” Porter says.
That gets those who need help through one more day.
Porter says their needs are what one would expect this time of the year. Winter coats, hats, gloves, and mittens, as well as sleeping bags, are at the top of the list.
