The official number of people served across Nova Scotia over the Thanksgiving weekend by Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is in, and it’s a fair bit lower than the 2,000 meals they expected to provide. “We had enough food for everyone but for various reasons we fed maybe 13 to 1,500 people,” says CEO Michelle Porter. However, Porter doesn’t think that’s an accurate snapshot of people’s financial status. She points to the three government cheques that all came in at the same time last week as a potential reason why their numbers were down. “There was the normal paycheque from social assistance, and then there was a HST and then the grocery rebate on top of that which is quite a bit of money for someone who wants to spend thanksgiving in their own home,” Porter says. Porter says it’s great that people didn’t need their services this past weekend, but rebate cheques can’t be counted on every month, especially as temperatures start to drop. “One of the things Souls Harbour does to prepare for winter is to start to collect blankets and winter coats and sleeping bags. We’re already getting daily request because there is a chill in the air and the reality is there are people still living outside,” she says. “The needs are continuing to persist,” says Sara Napier, president and CEO of the United Way Maritimes. The most recent data in Halifax shows almost 1,764 individuals and families are homeless. “We work and see a lot of need in housing and homelessness,” Napier says. “We also see need in food security, in social belonging, in isolation and safety, and so we see how all of those things are interwoven together and so addressing them as a collective is really important to support people holistically.” At Souls Harbour, the food that didn’t get served this past weekend will be used to provide meals this week. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
