Shelter Nova Scotia seeking holiday wish list donations

The CEO of Shelter Nova Scotia chats about their Holiday Wish List, and the work they do to help those in need in our communities.

Since 2020, Shelter Nova Scotia has kept a holiday wish list which has raised close to $350,000 to help the people who use their services.

The charitable non-profit organization isn’t fully funded so the money raised through the wish list helps provide support to community members in need.

The organization’s seven locations offer emergency shelter for people who are experiencing homelessness, said Linda Wilson, CEO of Shelter Nova Scotia. Their facilities include supported, affordable apartment complexes, community residential facilities for people transitioning from correctional facilities back to their communities, and a walk-in shelter that provides showers and laundry services.

“We also do a lot of work with people who are trying to leave encampments and move into housing,” said Wilson.

Shelter Nova Scotia asks for monetary contributions to buy items for people as needed because they don’t have the storage space for other kinds of donations, said Wilson.

“Any extra space we have we use for beds and services,” she said. “At this time of year, sometimes the gifts we provide people are the only ones they’ll get.”

Wilson said their needs have increased significantly in the last 10 years. She said a November report identified 1,200 people experiencing homelessness in Halifax Regional Municipality. When she started in the ‘80s, she said there were only 14.

“I think that more than ever people in Nova Scotia and across Canada… who may not have been aware of homelessness certainly are now,” Wilson said. “It’s much more visible.”

Wilson said for a long time there were always a few beds available at their facilities but they’ve been full for around four years.

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