Today, on our website, we tell the inspiring story of Kim, one of the 11 women who live at Brigid's Place Transitional Housing for Women.
Shepherds of Good Hope runs four different supportive living facilities across the city. Brigid's Place is a little different in that it's based more on a housing first model.
Located in Lowertown, it's a former duplex that has been converted to a single home. We have 11 women living there. Although we provide support services, the women live fairly independent lives. Many of the women who come to Brigid's Place are from the streets or the homeless shelter.
They ended up on the streets or in the shelter for a variety of reasons. They might have come from abusive homes. Some suffer from mental issues and/or addictions. We're there to help them, but just as importantly, to provide them with a safe home. We believe that in order for these women to be able to turn their lives around, they must have stable housing first.
Brigid's Place runs a like a collective. All of the women are invited to take part in all the decisions made at Brigid's Place. For many, it's the first safe home they have had in years, In addition to their own rooms, they also have shared common areas where they can cook, watch TV or use a computer. They have a community garden to look after and they can do things together as a group. Earlier, this month, the women made a day-trip to the beach.
Without Brigid's Place, a lot of these women would have nowhere else to turn. Please take time to read Kim's story.
If you would like to know more about the programs and services we offer to women, please don't hesitate to contact me. 613-789-8210, ext. 247 or asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com. To make a donation, please visit our donation page.
Showing posts with label brigid's place. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brigid's place. Show all posts
Monday, 27 July 2015
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
How we help women
There was an article in the Ottawa Sun today about the number of women who rely on shelters.
The people who run the shelters say space is tight and that they are sometimes forced to turn women away. When we think of women's shelters, we most often think of safe places for women to go when they are trying to escape an abusive relationship. It's a sad fact that domestic abuse is still a problem in our country.
When people think of Shepherds of Good Hope, many don't know that we are the only homeless shelter that provides services to both men and women. Every night, there are as many as 100 women in our various programs. Some of those women are escaping a violent relationship and have nowhere else to go. They have a terrible choice. Be homeless or stay in danger. Thankfully, Shepherds is another resource for these women.
For other women, their homelessness is a consequence of other factors. They might be suffering from mental illness and/or dealing with addiction issues. It could be they simply can't find good enough employment to allow them to be on their own in their own homes.
The women come to us from different backgrounds, for different reasons, and with different challenges to address. Our Hope Outreach Emergency Shelter for Women has room for 60 women every night.
In addition to providing a safe bed, we have other services in place. We have TESP (transitional emergency shelter program). The women who are part of this program are chronically homeless and have had severe physical and mental health issues. In TESP, they are cared for by trained health care professionals, counsellors and case management workers.
We also have a dedicated Women's Special Care Unit with 16 beds for women who are suffering from severe health conditions. Sometimes our role is to provide treatment, other times it's to coordinate it with the women's existing health care providers. We also provide assessments and referrals for addiction counselling. We help them with housing and we provide life skills, things like how to keep a room clean, how to shop for groceries, skills we take for granted.
Finally, we have Brigid's Place, a housing first complex. There are 11 women who live there. These women have spent a considerable amount of time living on the street. They did what they had to do to survive. Brigid's Place gives them a safe haven where they can start to take the steps necessary to perhaps one day live more independently. Everyone is different. Everyone goes at their own pace. We set no time limit. The women stay at Brigid's Place for as long as they need us.
If you want to learn more about our women's programs, please check out our program and services page. If you would like a tour on our programs specifically for women, please contact me at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.
The people who run the shelters say space is tight and that they are sometimes forced to turn women away. When we think of women's shelters, we most often think of safe places for women to go when they are trying to escape an abusive relationship. It's a sad fact that domestic abuse is still a problem in our country.
When people think of Shepherds of Good Hope, many don't know that we are the only homeless shelter that provides services to both men and women. Every night, there are as many as 100 women in our various programs. Some of those women are escaping a violent relationship and have nowhere else to go. They have a terrible choice. Be homeless or stay in danger. Thankfully, Shepherds is another resource for these women.
For other women, their homelessness is a consequence of other factors. They might be suffering from mental illness and/or dealing with addiction issues. It could be they simply can't find good enough employment to allow them to be on their own in their own homes.
The women come to us from different backgrounds, for different reasons, and with different challenges to address. Our Hope Outreach Emergency Shelter for Women has room for 60 women every night.
In addition to providing a safe bed, we have other services in place. We have TESP (transitional emergency shelter program). The women who are part of this program are chronically homeless and have had severe physical and mental health issues. In TESP, they are cared for by trained health care professionals, counsellors and case management workers.
We also have a dedicated Women's Special Care Unit with 16 beds for women who are suffering from severe health conditions. Sometimes our role is to provide treatment, other times it's to coordinate it with the women's existing health care providers. We also provide assessments and referrals for addiction counselling. We help them with housing and we provide life skills, things like how to keep a room clean, how to shop for groceries, skills we take for granted.
Finally, we have Brigid's Place, a housing first complex. There are 11 women who live there. These women have spent a considerable amount of time living on the street. They did what they had to do to survive. Brigid's Place gives them a safe haven where they can start to take the steps necessary to perhaps one day live more independently. Everyone is different. Everyone goes at their own pace. We set no time limit. The women stay at Brigid's Place for as long as they need us.
If you want to learn more about our women's programs, please check out our program and services page. If you would like a tour on our programs specifically for women, please contact me at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.
Monday, 15 June 2015
2014 Homelessness Report
For the last several years, the Alliance to end Homelessness has released a report on the state of homelessness in the capital.
There was good news and bad news. The good news is that fewer people needed to rely on an emergency shelter last year, although it was only a slight drop. But a drop, nevertheless. The bad news is that those who needed an emergency shelter bed needed it for a longer period of time.
The other piece of news in the report that stuck out for me was the number of families who had to rely on an emergency shelter. More than 700 families in 2014 needed the services of an emergency shelter. Ottawa is often thought of being an affluent city. I won't argue with that. But regardless how strong employment is in a city or how well off the residents are, there are always people who will slip through the cracks. It's a cliche but it's true.
Shepherds of Good Hope knows that one of the answers is to provide more affordable housing, but just as importantly, more supportive housing. Not everyone is equipped for affordable housing. Yes, it gives them shelter, but for the people who have been chronically homeless, they need other supports. They need help with their health issues, addictions. They need coping mechanisms for the abuse they suffered in the past. They need simple life skills, like how to cook, how to shop for groceries, and just as importantly, how to interact in daily situations that we take for granted.
That's why Shepherds runs four different supportive housing facilities -- Brigid's Place, Hope Living, St. Andrew's Residence and The Oaks. They don't all serve the same type of client but what they all have in common is a mix of services that keep them off the streets and offer hope that one day they might move to more independent living.
There was good news and bad news. The good news is that fewer people needed to rely on an emergency shelter last year, although it was only a slight drop. But a drop, nevertheless. The bad news is that those who needed an emergency shelter bed needed it for a longer period of time.
The other piece of news in the report that stuck out for me was the number of families who had to rely on an emergency shelter. More than 700 families in 2014 needed the services of an emergency shelter. Ottawa is often thought of being an affluent city. I won't argue with that. But regardless how strong employment is in a city or how well off the residents are, there are always people who will slip through the cracks. It's a cliche but it's true.
Shepherds of Good Hope knows that one of the answers is to provide more affordable housing, but just as importantly, more supportive housing. Not everyone is equipped for affordable housing. Yes, it gives them shelter, but for the people who have been chronically homeless, they need other supports. They need help with their health issues, addictions. They need coping mechanisms for the abuse they suffered in the past. They need simple life skills, like how to cook, how to shop for groceries, and just as importantly, how to interact in daily situations that we take for granted.
That's why Shepherds runs four different supportive housing facilities -- Brigid's Place, Hope Living, St. Andrew's Residence and The Oaks. They don't all serve the same type of client but what they all have in common is a mix of services that keep them off the streets and offer hope that one day they might move to more independent living.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Solving homelessness
Wow. We posted a story on our Facebook site earlier this week and it has reached more than 1,100 people. It's clear the story is resonating with you. It's about how the city of Victoria is considering micro-housing as a way to reduce homelessness.
During the last year, there has been a lot of discussion about solving homelessness. The latest strategy that has caught people's attention is often referred to as housing first. The idea is you can eliminate homelessness by putting everyone who is homeless into their own home. Maybe it's a rooming house, maybe it's subsidized apartments, maybe it's micro-units.
Last year, during his campaign, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson pledged an extra $2 million to fight homelessness and increase affordable housing. He told the Ottawa Citizen he would like to reduce emergency shelter use by 15 per cent during the next five years.
I applaud those efforts and it's encouraging to see a renewed focus on reducing homelessness.
However, anyone who works with the homeless knows that simply providing a home isn't always enough. Without a doubt, having shelter is the first step to stability. That's why we have supportive living homes Brigid's Place, St. Andrew's Residence, Hope Living and The Oaks. It's why we do more than just run a shelter for men and women on King Edward St. All of these places do more than just provide a roof over someone's head. Depending on which site you visit, the residents are getting support for mental health issues, they're being seen by medical staff, they're being fed, they're being treated for addictions and more. And we're also giving them the skills that will hopefully allow them to live more independently one day.
I won't get into all of the details in this one blog post. But if you want to read more about our programs and services, you can visit our website.
During the last year, there has been a lot of discussion about solving homelessness. The latest strategy that has caught people's attention is often referred to as housing first. The idea is you can eliminate homelessness by putting everyone who is homeless into their own home. Maybe it's a rooming house, maybe it's subsidized apartments, maybe it's micro-units.
Last year, during his campaign, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson pledged an extra $2 million to fight homelessness and increase affordable housing. He told the Ottawa Citizen he would like to reduce emergency shelter use by 15 per cent during the next five years.
I applaud those efforts and it's encouraging to see a renewed focus on reducing homelessness.
However, anyone who works with the homeless knows that simply providing a home isn't always enough. Without a doubt, having shelter is the first step to stability. That's why we have supportive living homes Brigid's Place, St. Andrew's Residence, Hope Living and The Oaks. It's why we do more than just run a shelter for men and women on King Edward St. All of these places do more than just provide a roof over someone's head. Depending on which site you visit, the residents are getting support for mental health issues, they're being seen by medical staff, they're being fed, they're being treated for addictions and more. And we're also giving them the skills that will hopefully allow them to live more independently one day.
I won't get into all of the details in this one blog post. But if you want to read more about our programs and services, you can visit our website.
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Growing hope
The women at Brigid's Place are going green. They have a plot in the new community garden at Angel Square, located at 40 Cobourg St., also in Lowertown. The women are going to maintain two plots. One is for vegetables that anyone can help themselves to. The second plot will grow vegetables for the 11 women who live at Brigid's Place.
Community gardens work on so many levels. The obvious is that you can grow food. But think of that word community. In a wired world, we sometimes forget that the most meaningful interaction is face to face. A community garden is another way that allows neighbours to meet, to get to know each other, to chat about their day, to share their lives, to produce something together and then to share it.
For the women, it's a great way to spend an afternoon, tending plants, pulling weeds. And when they put those fresh vegetables on the table for dinner, there will be a sense of satisfaction knowing they grew them, nurtured them. The large planter boxes are easy to get to as they're raised off the ground. We're looking forward to some fresh at harvest time.
If you haven't heard about Brigid's Place before, it's a duplex that has been converted into a single home with room for 11 women. Each resident has their own room and they share a kitchen area, computer and a TV area. They also have a small garden in the back with a deck.
The women who live there have experienced very difficult times and still face a lot of challenges. They might suffer from mental illness, have issues with past trauma or be struggling with addiction. This program has been running since 2009 and it's a first step to providing stability and the skills needed to one day move on to more independent housing.
There are lots of activities for the women and the garden is just the latest example. This Sunday at 2 p.m., the community garden is holding its official opening. There will be cakes and refreshments on the front lawn of the Lowertown Community Resource Centre. In case of rain, the event will be moved to inside the centre. If you live in the neighbourhood, I hope you can attend and show your support for the centre and Brigid's Place.
Community gardens work on so many levels. The obvious is that you can grow food. But think of that word community. In a wired world, we sometimes forget that the most meaningful interaction is face to face. A community garden is another way that allows neighbours to meet, to get to know each other, to chat about their day, to share their lives, to produce something together and then to share it.
For the women, it's a great way to spend an afternoon, tending plants, pulling weeds. And when they put those fresh vegetables on the table for dinner, there will be a sense of satisfaction knowing they grew them, nurtured them. The large planter boxes are easy to get to as they're raised off the ground. We're looking forward to some fresh at harvest time.
If you haven't heard about Brigid's Place before, it's a duplex that has been converted into a single home with room for 11 women. Each resident has their own room and they share a kitchen area, computer and a TV area. They also have a small garden in the back with a deck.
The women who live there have experienced very difficult times and still face a lot of challenges. They might suffer from mental illness, have issues with past trauma or be struggling with addiction. This program has been running since 2009 and it's a first step to providing stability and the skills needed to one day move on to more independent housing.
There are lots of activities for the women and the garden is just the latest example. This Sunday at 2 p.m., the community garden is holding its official opening. There will be cakes and refreshments on the front lawn of the Lowertown Community Resource Centre. In case of rain, the event will be moved to inside the centre. If you live in the neighbourhood, I hope you can attend and show your support for the centre and Brigid's Place.
Monday, 15 December 2014
Export Development Canada
On Friday
December 12th we had a special group of volunteers from EDC. This wonderful
volunteers came to help spread the holiday cheer by making a special meal for
the women who live in Brigid’s Place, a Shepherds of Good Hope supportive
living facility for the most street
entrenched and hardest-to-serve women in the city of Ottawa due to addiction
issues, mental health and factors relating to past trauma. All of the 11 women
who are currently staying at Brigid’s have experienced exceptionally difficult
lives and they were so grateful to the volunteers for taking the time to make
them such a special meal.
The volunteers had a great time volunteering together
but the joy they brought to our ladies is what really marks the holiday spirit.
If you would like to volunteer, or bring in a group to volunteer, please click HERE.
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