SSVP LONDON HOMELESSNESS CIRCLE MEETING
(summary)

Tracey Morton-Sader, Coordinator - St. Joe’s Café

• Funded by Sisters of St. Joseph
• Run fully on a donation basis
• Food security is focus
• 602 Queens, joined London Cares about three years ago
• 50¢ for breakfast; $1 for lunch – same prices as 1983
• $20/month meal card 145 people monthly
• “Hand up not a hand out”
• Always a table of fruits/vegetables, cans, bread station for people who come to eat
• People are served, coffee refilled, social event for clientele
• Now open Saturdays – complimentary lunch
• In 2023 – 74, 000 meals served; 2024 – 88, 000; this year looking at over 100, 000 meals
• House of Hope – people who live there receive a meal card and frozen meals for the weekend
• Food sent to John Howard for their meal program, to seniors’ buildings, and various agencies
• Clientele is homeless, drug-addicted, physical and mental health challenged

Allison DeBlaire, Executive director, co-founder - 519 PURSUIT

• Charitable organization that focuses on friendships with individuals facing homelessness and poverty
• Works in collaboration with other groups
• Focus on going directly to folks where they are – community outreach Monday - Friday
• 120 meals from collaborative partnership with the London Food Bank, RBC Place, YOU
• 100 meals from mobile depot strategy, working with Ark Aid Street Mission and London Cares
• Monday – Friday lunch 220 meals served to people in encampments, along the riverside, on the streets, people who aren’t often able to access services for variety of reasons, e.g., mobility, pets, not wanting to leave belongings outside
• Work to get people connected back to services
• Talk with individuals to see what they need, e.g., get ID, connect with London Cares to begin paperwork for housing
• Show up in the moment
• Focus on food security foremost
• care package program, e.g., hygiene packages, winter packages, clothing packages working with SSVP store
• 519 Pledge for Socks Campaign

Dania Parker-Smith, HR Manager - ARK AID STREET MISSION

• Volunteer coordinator, Melissa, hired and will be invited to next meeting
• Working with basic needs of people
• Funded by city and outside donors
• Continuum of care offered
  • Phase 1: Essentials for Life - immediate relief and response to urgent needs.
  • Phase 2: Connection through Care, e.g., providing life skills, tools for independence.
  • Phase 3: Path to home – guiding people to secure, stable, long-term housing 696 Dundas – 2 meals a day + encampment meals (in partnership with city and 519 Pursuit)
• Serving about 800 meals/day
• Basic needs available, e.g. showers, laundry, clothing, basic help
• 20 beds for overnight
• Ongoing fundraising, e.g., Holiday Big Give (Nov. 1 – Dec. 15, 2025) - 2 million dollar goal
  Warner Location at Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church
• 70 residents housed (phase 2)
  Seniors are fastest growing demographic
  Lots of programs available, e.g., helping with taxes, landscaping program, life skills
  Most volunteers are in kitchen 200 hours/week service
  Not all people are unhoused
  Take-out window for people not comfortable to come in or who need space
  3 houses at Oxford St
• Independent living
• Housed about 150 people, e.g., to families, group homes, off the street

Sam Armstrong, Flex Manager - LONDON CARES

• Founded in 2008 - started at pilot project in response to city homelessness
• Now independent organization with over 90 employees
• Specialize with people who have very complex needs
• Overall goal to house people Programs Street outreach team
• Everyday in community 7 – 2:30 am
• 24-7 phone is available
• Proactive on the street, reactive triage
• People call in directly or others call in for someone and someone will go to meet with them
• Works closely with emerg services, police,
• System navigation focus on downtown core
• Services all of London
  Dedicated encampment teams that connect with people
  Housing paperwork
  Partners with HOME program Health Outreach Mobile Engagement
• Started as city bus that was converted to mobile health unit that brings health care, services to people where they are
  Partnership 602 Queens Ave – London Cares, St. Joe’s Café, Regional HIV Aids Connection, Thames Valley Family Health Team
  Runs drop in space, the Common
• Basic needs, respite, shower/laundry
• Primary health care available Housing Stability Team
• Help match people to different housing program, e.g., London Cares, John Howard (Project Home), YOU
• Help with all steps of process, and continue to provide supports to individuals once housed
• Veteran-specific housing worker Newest program – House of Hope, opened Oct. 2023
• Provides intensive housing support services
• 24/7 support available
• In partnership with LHSC to identify individuals experiencing chronic homelessness for years and regularly attending the hospital with no fixed address
• 50 permanent, highly supportive units