N.S. charity expands, citizens step in amidst cost-of-living crisis

First at Five: Comfort Food While various levels of government struggle to solve Canada’s homeless crisis, local non-profits are taking matters into their own hands.

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is officially offering hot meals and necessities to those in need at a new drop-in centre in the community of Lower Sackville, N.S.

“Every day, Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 3 p.m.,” says the organization’s CEO, Michelle Porter. “And then we'll open up to Mondays, and then we're going to add clothing, and of course hygiene items, toiletries, and other basic needs.”

The non-profit has expanded its service locations over the past several years, now operating in Halifax, Bridgewater, and Truro.

“You hate to say the demand is great, because that’s not where we want to find ourselves in Nova Scotia,” Porter says. “But the demand is great.”

She says the cost-of-living crisis, and a lack of affordable housing, are taking a toll on Maritimers.

Many are without a permanent home, while others, Porter says, are on the brink.

“We … have a lot of families who can hardly make ends meet because they're living below the poverty line,” she says.

The Rock Church on Sackville Drive offered up what was once a storage space adjacent to its kitchen for the centre.

Youth pastor Spencer Conway says the parish wanted to help people in the surrounding community and thought the partnership would be fitting.

“With inflation, with costs going up, people are being affected in a lot of different ways,” he says.

“It’s easy to maybe talk about wanting to see change, but I think this is a really practical way to really see a difference being made,” Conway adds.

For John den Hollander, who has been volunteering to help those in need in the Halifax area for the past four years, pitching in at Souls Harbour’s newest location made sense.

“The need for people to know that people care about them and know that they're loved and not forgotten is the main thing,” he explains. “Being able to volunteer really means a lot.”

As governments continue to try to find solutions, the Souls Harbour expansion is just one way Maritimers are doing what they can.

For Middle Musquodoboit resident Felicia LeBlanc, the online world provided her own opportunity to act, giving her a way to create a virtual aid network throughout the province.

Two years ago, LeBlanc founded a Facebook group, “Helping the Homelessness in Nova Scotia,” to connect like-minded citizens.

While the group began with helping those without a place to live access necessities and resources, LeBlanc says it now receives requests for help from people in varying situations.

“Now it’s including people who are in homes, but now are struggling to stay in their homes,” she explains.

“I’ve been there myself, I’ve never been homeless, but I’ve struggled many times in my life and I couldn’t imagine if I didn’t have my support system,” she says.

LeBlanc says once the group becomes aware of a community member in need, they mobilize to assist.

“No matter what area of Nova Scotia, people will volunteer their vehicles, people will volunteer their time and effort and energy into bringing clothing to people who are in need.”

With 2,400 members, the group is now raising money online for “providing tents, tarps, clothing, cooking supplies and funds for gas for those living in their vehicles.”

“My biggest eye-opener coming to the page is the amount of those who are tenting, (who) work,” says group member Natasha Dooks.

“And we get a lot of messages from these people, saying, 'I don't know what's going on, I need help,’” she says.

She became involved after deciding to donate more than 80 homemade submarine sandwiches to those in need, making connections with the group’s assistance four months ago.

Dooks says they also try to provide funds to keep people in their homes.

“They’re one bill away from being in a tent, and we are doing everything that we can to prevent that from happening,” she explains.

For LeBlanc, addressing the cost-of-living crisis means taking individual action, rather than solely counting on governments.

“We need more people to be more caring and more understanding, and we need to come together,” she says.

“If we don’t,” she says, “(government) is not going to save us, it’s just reality.”

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.