'All services under one roof': New 24/7 shelter opens in St. Thomas, Ont.
A new 24-hour shelter for those experiencing homelessness in St. Thomas, Ont. is set to open Wednesday.
The INN, formerly Inn Out of the Cold St. Thomas-Elgin, announced Tuesday that it will be opening a new facility at 10 Princess Ave.
“We are looking forward with great anticipation to serving our guests at this new location that will allow those using our services to seek shelter, safety and support in one spot instead of having to bundle up each morning and face the elements, moving around the city to the next site to get help,” says Executive Director Lori Fitzgerald.
The INN has operated for almost 12 years at the Central United Church on Wellington Street and was mostly open during the winter. But over the past few years it has become a year-round shelter.
The new location is just steps from Talbot Street in the city's downtown.
For current clients like Derek Preston, it's a game-changer.
"Having that kind of shelter helps with dealing with the anxiety of not being able to have housing," says Preston, who was standing out front of the daytime drop-in centre at 423 Talbot St.
"It helps me deal with not being able to get off the street because it's cold at night."
The INN in St. Thomas, Ont. will be able to sleep 40 people overnight, with potential for more once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
When COVID-19 hit, it highlighted a need for a new space, as while many people sheltered, the homeless were left on the street.
That's when city officials, along with the board of directors of The Inn started looking at potential spaces. With a provincial grant and help from Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek, they were able to purchase the new location.
Inside will not just be a shelter and day-space for clients. It wil also be a hub of services.
"Mental health and addictions support, health care, harm reduction services, practical help like identification replacement and assistance with housing and Ontario Works applications are some of the benefits that will come to those seeking help at The INN," says Fitzgerald.
The St. Thomas Police Service will also use the facility as a work space and central location for their Mobile Outreach Support (MOS) team.
"The partnership that we have within the Inn and Indwell, the number of places that people have shelter to lay down at night, be comfortable and have some wraparound services through (the Canadian Mental Health Association) and our MOS team, this is a step in the right direction," says Chris Herridge, St. Thomas' chief of police.
"We want to work with our community and not just be a police service in this community, but also help people that are in crisis that are suffering from mental health, homelessness, poverty and addictions to find hope and be productive members of our society."
One of the biggest issues for the homeless population in St. Thomas is the location of all the services.
The Inn out of the Cold was more than a kilometre away from the Grace Cafe (which serves breakfast to those in need) and the daytime warming centre.
The INN in St. Thomas, Ont. will be a daytime warming centre with multiple services under one roof in the facility.
"The guests that are staying at the shelter now, will be able to get all three meals a day here," says Fitzgerald. "They'll no longer have to go wandering around the city, looking for food and different services then shuffle back again at night."
Preston is one of the people who would wake up and make their way around the city throughout the day.
"I do have to walk across town to get a meal, and that's tough when you don't have a job," says Preston.
"I want to get off the street and get myself into a nice house. But having three guaranteed meals a day would be very supportive."
The INN will be able to house 40 people per night, with potential for more once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.