Summerside shelter fulfills a need
Winter Street men’s shelter operating for past year offers 10 low-barrier beds
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – One year in, and staff at the lowbarrier men’s shelter on Summerside’s Winter Street say the service is still very much needed.
Shelter manager Roberta Cosgrove said that having the resources made available by the facility, which is operated for the province by the Native Council of P.E.I., has helped make a difference in the community.
“It’s sad, to see a lot of people going without,” said Cosgrove. “But I think it’s important that we have this support for them.”
SUPPORT SERVICES
Such supports include a place to sleep, shower and eat. Shelter residents also have access to programs and computers, to help them workshop their resume, look for jobs, or get in touch with social services.
“If we can’t find anything here, we reach out to outside services to help us with that,” said Cosgrove.
In the last year, Cosgrove has observed an increase in the city’s homeless population. That’s why a few months ago, the shelter increased its number of beds from six to 10 – and there has hardly been a time when they were not all in use.
“We’re open 24-7. We provide three meals a day,” said Cosgrove. “A lot of (clients) will spend the day working on their case plans, whether it be going to meetings, or getting in touch with mental health, or looking for a job, building a resume, that sort of thing.”
SUCCESS STORIES
While the shelter offers longterm residence, it will also let people come in for a single night if need be, as long as there are beds available.
“We’ve had people ... an 85-year-old who just lost his spouse and couldn’t afford the house,” said Cosgrove. “Just really sad stories. He just needed a little bit of guidance on where to go, next. He’s happy, he’s living in assisted living, and he absolutely loves it.”
That man is not the only success story at the shelter. In the past year, Cosgrove said she and her staff have helped 12 men find a permanent place to call home.
“It’s heartwarming because it is such a rough state for some people,” she said. “Nowadays, most of us have to have two or three jobs, so just to see them come in and succeed in the littlest things that they want to do, it makes me happy. Very happy.”
After months of operating the shelter, Cosgrove said the facility is running smoothly, with few hurdles and challenges.
“A lot of people say ‘I didn’t even know there was a shelter there. It’s quiet,’” she said. “We have a lady across the street (who) brings us cookies, she bakes for us.”
HOMELESS POPULATION
Matthew Forster has been a support worker at the shelter since it opened.
“I’ve always wanted to work in this field of helping people,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for years. When the shelter position got posted, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to come and assist with the homeless.”
Working at the Winter Street shelter and coming face-to-face with Summerside’s homeless population, Forster sees the need for the shelter.
“I never realized how many homeless people are actually out there,” he said. “I guess seeing the rotation through the door, of how many people need our help, it’s been very eye-opening.”
MORE TO DO
Although the shelter has made a positive impact in the city, Cosgrove believes Summerside still has work to do to address its housing crisis – particularly in how the issue interacts with the cost of living and mental health.
While there is a walk-in clinic for mental health at Prince County Hospital, Cosgrove acknowledges that many clients dislike going there, because of uncertainty of who they would see and how exposed they feel in the waiting room.
While most mental health services exist in Charlottetown, people prefer to stay in their own community.
As well, Cosgrove would love to see someone take the initiative to establish a transitional home for clients who still need support after leaving the Winter Street shelter.
“I find it hard because there’s nowhere after the shelter,” said Cosgrove. “I think it’s important there’s something like Lifehouse (a local shelter for women and children), a transitional home, for the clients that are here. I think it’s important. That might be something that somebody looks at in the future, possibly sooner than later.”