Strathmore Overnight Shelter opens its doors
By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor
Miriam Ostermann Photo
The project brings a vision to fruition to combat destitution and hardship in Strathmore and surrounding areas.
For more than five years, various churches in the community identified the problem of homeless people and those needing a helping hand in the community, much of which was fuelled by soaring job losses when the economy tumbled.
In 2015, Pastor Elizabeth Karp, Pastor Dawn Nelson, and citizens Waldo Munoz and John Hilton-O’Brien – now the president of the SOS board – provided town council with a detailed proposal on a transition shelter to house people without overnight accommodation, providing them with resources within the community and offering a meal in the morning.
With up to $60,000 from the Town of Strathmore and thousands of dollars collected from the municipality and surrounding communities at various fundraisers – including the Coldest Night of the Year, Be a Legend fundraising event, and the Strathmore Stampede Chili Extravaganza – as well as donations from various businesses, the Harvest Healing Centre Church underwent construction to upgrade their premises and secure funds for operations. On April 8, the shelter held their grand opening.
“About six or seven years ago we really identified a huge need that we were seeing more people come through the community, more people needing support and a night or two just to get their breath and stay warm,” said Nelson in a speech during the shelter’s opening celebration. “It started with one or two in a week or month, depending on the weather, but we started to see a real increase. And one night a group of us were over at town council and we were talking about the need with our councillors and we became aware that it’s become much more.
“Yes there is a faith part about this for many of us, but even more it is a compassion of being a community. I’m honoured to be here with you to celebrate the accomplishment of something we have dreamed about for at least five or six years… and I’m so thankful for what is happening here today.”
The emergency shelter will provide two rooms with five beds each, along with washroom facilities for men, women and those who are handicapped. The building also had to install a sprinkler system – a $100,000 obstacle made possible through the donation of manpower and materials from Legacy Fire Protection – a fire suppression system and a security system. As organizations in Calgary, such as Inn from the Cold and the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre continue to be at capacity, surrounding areas and even organizations as far as the United States have already been reaching out to the shelter for months to house individuals.
“I’m thrilled to have the shelter open,” said Hilton-O’Brien. “It’s been a long road made with the support of virtually every part of Strathmore. The level of support for the shelter is a testimony to how much the people of Strathmore care for their own.”
According to the SOS, 16 people are expected to be using the facility for a town with a population the size of Strathmore. At least 35 individuals in the area have already been identified who currently find refuge in ATM vestibules, their cars, on a friend’s couch, in churches or on the streets.
The event on Sunday included a service, speeches and a ribbon cutting ceremony, and appearances by local councillors and the mayor, provincial politicians and numerous residents. Nelson also presented Karp of the Harvest Healing Centre Church with a plaque in honour of the shelter opening. Although the shelter is officially open, the organization is still in the process of training and hiring staff before the shelter can house people.