Square One Community Inc. is thankful for a recent donation because it plans to use the funds to pursue two new initiatives that focus on supportive housing and community advocacy.
Members of the three area Rotary clubs — Moose Jaw, Wakamow, and Assiniboia — presented a cheque of $8,720 to Square One at William Milne Place on Fairford Street East on Aug. 15.
The money came from surplus funds — including registration fees and private donations — that the club acquired during its district conference in May. The organizing committee decided that if there was leftover money, it would direct the funds to a non-profit group that focused on hope and mental wellness.
“Why Square One Community (Inc.)? Because we thought, in many ways, Moose Jaw is no different than the vast majority of cities across the country (because) homelessness is an issue that affects mental wellness and a sense of hope,” said Glenn Hagel, chairman of the organizing committee.
Square One collaborates with other agencies to fill in gaps where services may be missing for homeless or vulnerable people and increase their hope and mental well-being, he continued.
The non-profit is also a service delivery provider that has developed a strategic plan based on “factual information that they bring to the picture” in Moose Jaw, Hagel added.
Jim Christie, president of the Moose Jaw Club and conference fundraising chairman, said the event was unique because multiple clubs collaborated to organize it for the first time.
He and others were told it would never work because of the district’s geographical size, while they were told to expect only 100 people. Instead, 140 attended the two-day event.
“This conference will be used as a model going forward,” Christie added.
Mary Lee Booth, president of Square One, thanked the three Rotary Clubs for their generous donation. She choked up briefly and said it was tough to express her appreciation.
Meanwhile, she said Square One attempts to help the community better understand the needs of the homeless by working with other groups and ensuring there is a “continuum of needs” to move vulnerable people toward independent living.
Therefore, two relatively new initiatives the organization is pursuing include:
- Developing a long-term supportive housing program for people wanting to leave shelters and helping them sustain and maintain independent living
- Assembling a social housing advisory committee comprised of like-minded organizations interested in ensuring every citizen has a safe place to live
Booth added that Square One will conduct another point-in-time (PIT) count of homeless people in October to help it “learn the facts so it can fill the gaps.”
Max Eckstein, Square One’s co-ordinator of special projects, said the organization has been regularly collecting data about homelessness, with the data confirming that there is a gap with supportive housing services in Moose Jaw.
“We’re focused here on providing a continuum of support, so we’re hoping that Square One’s introduction into the supportive housing industry … will help with that … and provide some long-term success for people experiencing homelessness,” he continued.
The data that the non-profit acquired focused on meeting with other agencies that deal with housing security and analyzing what happens to people when they enter the shelter system, Eckstein explained.
Square One discovered that people who don’t belong to a “targeted group” — sobriety issues, having a disability, or exiting a correctional centre — didn’t have services to meet their needs, he said. Shelters then become stop-gap measures.
“We like to look at shelters as an entry into a continuum of support, and we’re hoping to be the next (piece) in the puzzle,” he stated.
Square One has spoken with Moose Jaw Housing Authority about using the William Milne Place building for long-term housing suites because the venue has 15 rooms, Eckstein said. This will not conflict with the Willow Lodge shelter nearby, since that is for people who have nowhere to stay.
“And working intensively with a support worker, which, initially will be myself, somebody’s life will begin to change and recovery becomes possible,” he added.
Square One is just starting the supporting housing initiative, so it will be months — maybe next year — before it launches. Meanwhile, the non-profit expects the advisory committee to begin working in October and include reps from all three levels of government.
