Souls Harbour, Helm Center announce merger to increase addiction recovery in Halifax area

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax is pictured. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV Atlantic)

Two Nova Scotia organizations have announced they are merging to increase addiction recovery programming in the Halifax area.

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission and The Helm Center will provide a total of 18 beds for recovery.

Souls Harbour will have a six-month, street-level recovery program with nine beds at its downtown Halifax facility.

Meanwhile, the Helm Center will provide a year-long residential recovery program with nine beds at its Glen Haven location.

The organizations say their integration will allow for better service coordination, reduce administrative costs, and eliminate duplicate efforts.

“This merger unites two organizations with a shared mission to transform lives through faith, recovery, and compassion,” said Souls Harbour Rescue Mission’s cofounder and CEO Michelle Porter in a Friday news release.

“By combining our efforts, we can expand our impact and offer hope to even more people in need.”

The Helm says its program will be focused on mental health, skill development and spiritual care.

“At The Helm, we’ve always focused on creating a safe and supportive space for recovery,” said cofounder and executive director Dawn Bralovich.

“Partnering with Souls Harbour allows us to build on that foundation and extend our reach to help even more people find a fresh start.”

Both organizations say they will continue to provide essential services, including food, clothing, shelter and recovery programming.

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