`We need to support them'
Volunteers provide close-up of Kingston encampment
In the heart of Kingston lies Belle Park, a sprawling green space nestled along the west shore of the Cataraqui River off Montreal Street, south of Waaban Crossing. There, tales of hardship and resilience are shared amongst the homeless community that occupies the space.
Belle Park has become a refuge where its residents call their patchwork of tents and makeshift shelters home. What initially began as a humble gathering has formed into a community of solidarity and survival.
Volunteer Pamela Gray says the homeless population in Kingston is at an all-time high with an estimated 531 homeless population. She says there are 207 shelter spaces in the city, but only 59 of those are available during the day, leaving countless people with nowhere to go except the streets. (The Whig-standard has not verified those estimates or the total shelter spaces.)
The community is frustrated, but the question remains: Where are these people supposed to go?
A low-barrier Integrated Care Hub resides just beside the park. Gray says it can house up to 45 people — 25 sleeping in the upstairs quarters and another 20 sleeping on mattresses or the floor in the downstairs. Surrounding the hub, you will see tents and structures throughout Belle Park where she says another 62 people reside — as well as 20 more people who stay by the fire and tent surf. The hub is also the only shelter in Kingston that has a safe-using site.
Gray says that in order to help these people, you need to understand what they're going through.
“This is the only low-barrier space, and low barrier means that it is for the very mentally ill, drug addicted, medical issues, and when you combine that together, you need a skillset of acceptance, of understanding what that person needs, understanding that they don't communicate the same way we communicate — they may communicate with anger, sadness, grief, loss or psychosis. We have to have those skills in order to deal with that,” Gray said.
Gray has been volunteering at the shelter alongside her friend Brigit Smith for nine months. They both stated that they have not felt unsafe for even one moment there.
“It took less than a day to feel that these people are incredible, like we wanted to come back tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, just to be here with the people living here, and we just felt that we needed to be here to help,” Smith said.
Smith worked for Family and Children's Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington for 20 years before volunteering and says she has always had that feeling of wanting to help, so when a friend of hers who worked at the encampment reached out and talked about the needs of those most vulnerable, she talked to Gray, and together they decided they wanted to do anything they could to help.
“How resilient they are is what really hits home for me. One of my favourite days was when this young man was very sick, and Bridget and I basically shut down the trailer and took care of him. Brigit went and got muffins and coffee and then we just sat with him,” Gray said.
Gray and Smith run a clothing trailer, which allows for the residents to come in and pick out new clean outfits. Their role is to dress everyone throughout the day, but together they do much more than that: they advocate for the people they serve and aim to destigmatize the homeless.
“A lot of people don't understand addiction and mental health issues because it presents in a way people aren't comfortable with,” Gray said. “I'm hoping that our city realizes that we need more dynamic solutions. We need a place for people who use substances — low barrier. We need a place for them, and we need that to be OK. We need a place for people who want to not use substances, we need a place for people who want to go to treatment, we need all those services. These are vulnerable people, and we need to support them not stigmatize them.”
Gray and Smith are advocating for a better solution to the homeless issues the city is facing. They propose that the city invest in tiny homes accompanied with wraparound services such as proper bathing quarters, counselling, harm reduction services and downtime spaces. They are urging the city to follow other cities that have implemented these services, such as St. Catharines, Peterborough and London.
“We need harm reduction housing and harm reduction programming,” Gray said. “Harm reduction is so important, so we need that to establish a safe quiet place. A shelter is not a home; a shelter is
a shelter. We're so far away from getting these people housed that without proper infrastructure in place that is going to work for these people, we're a long way away from serving them.”
Smith highlights the desperation for these services as she says many people are suffering from sores and frostbite and are in desperate need of mental health counselling.
“I think the stigma of the hub is what is the hardest for us, when we've personally got to know the residents and how great they are and how people are judging them,” Smith said. “Here we are with people who haven't been able to shower for however long, yet they come into our trailer with smiles on their faces. I would be beside myself. Can you imagine? They come in and they're wanting to chat and apologizing because their hands are dirty.”
Smith and Gray are urging the community to try to be a little more compassionate, as they say that this is these people's reality, this is their home, their community, and this is where they feel most accepted. Each day is a memorable day in their eyes. The people they help are survivors, and they plan to do everything in their power to make life a little bit easier for them.
Gray also points out the kindness that the existing residents show to newcomers who often show up with no possessions.
“Support from the other homeless is very common when someone new comes in. They'll say, `We're here for you,' and help them get set up,” Gray said.
The hub is always looking for donations and volunteers. Smith encourages anyone who is thinking about volunteering to call or simply visit and just knock on their trailer door, as help is always welcome. They say they'd be happy to show people around and make them feel comfortable.