Former homeless man donates $10K to Ontario shelter that supported him
An Ontario man who was homeless for years has donated $10,000 to a shelter that supported him after receiving compensation from a residential school settlement.
The act of kindness has triggered a slew of donations for Shelter House in Thunder Bay, Ont., which had to close an outreach program on April 1 after it ran out of funds for the operation.
That program, known as Street Outreach Services, or SOS, involved two staffers driving around and checking on the city’s homeless, intoxicated and others at risk on the streets, and taking them to hospitals, detox facilities and shelters, said Alexandra Calderon, a development officer at Shelter House. A van used to run the program was operated 12 hours a day from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and helped alleviate the strain on the city’s emergency services, she said.
A few weeks ago, a First Nations man who had used the shelter and the outreach program extensively walked into Calderon’s office and said he wanted to give back, she recalled.
“My first reaction was ‘I’m sure you need this money more and you should take it and keep it for yourself,”’ Calderon said. “He said, ‘No, no, I want to make sure my friends are safe and the SOS is out there so that if they need help, or a ride, they can get one.”’
Both Calderon and the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, then broke into tears.