Category Archives: and indigent persons

Homelessness During COVID – Disaster Amplified

Featured

Posted on by
Reply
  • Homeless population
    Homeless individual

In any given year, there are about 235,000 Canadians that suffer from homelessness. That’s about 0.625% of the total population, a statistically “small” minority, which is, unfortunately, seeing its woes compounded due to winter and COVID.  

Homeless people rely on shelters to provide them a place to sleep and stay, especially during the cold winter nights when staying outside or in a makeshift shelter can be deadly disastrous. So it’s only logical that the shelters try to accommodate as many people as possible.

But that’s impossible due to COVID cases spreading. To mitigate the probability of transmission, shelters have reduced the number of people they take in. Needless to say, this is a significant blow to the homeless population of the country because during the second wave, more and more people are seeking shelter and less space is available. The lifting of the eviction ban has also added fuel to the fire.

To make matters worse, some shelter homes are being forced to close down or have been working at reduced capacity because the staff and residents have contracted the virus.

People are aware of the problem and are doing what little they can to remediate the situation like staging protests and urging the government to ramp up support. And shelters are using glass dividers in between beds to reduce the probability of transmission in close confines.

We can take lessons from international solutions to this problem, such as accommodating homeless populations in unused hotels (since the travel business is already suffering) or taking measures to contain homeless people to designated areas (by providing necessary amenities and shelter) to mitigate the possibility of transmission.

Penny Procession Produces Precise Profit Projections Pundit Predicts

Featured

Posted on by

The Canadian Penny [RIP]

February 4th, 2013 – a day of infamy as Canada loses it’s copper companion …

Do you ever have days where you wake up, already feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired, and find you are running out of the bargain basement tea or coffee – and to boot you can’t even scrounge together the coin to get another jar, never mind upgrading to a premium blend.

Now, courtesy of our forward-thinking financier elite (who are probably so choked up with currency conundrums that the old “cup o’ joe” doesn’t hit that sacred spot) we no longer have that LCD – the lowest common denominator, the penny.

Part of me (the fractionally crazy part) says – hey great, i don’t know how many times my inner math computer has been defaulting on it’s reasoning functions because of a redundant 1,1,1,1,1, type singularity on the event horizon. What that translates into is that the copper (and especially copper oxidized green) tint to what some would call “the high point of the day – a good cup of tea or coffee” seems to be awash in auburn metallurgical particulates – some may see them as ingredients in a quantum chemical bath that goes into – invisible to all but an alien scientist – our liquid intakes.

What are we going to do with all that copper now that it’s out of the larger socio-economic corpus (sounds like someone was trying to exterminate the little beggars – pun not intended, i’ll say 2 acts of contrition.) Immediately one could say that the melted down copper could go a long way to subsidize Canada’s well-known telecommunications industry…but then you realize everyone’s talking about Wire-Fibre – just as silicate a syndicate as the microchips which cause us to decide on crazy oracular life issues from economics, social-networking, what kind of tattoo to get, among other decisions once left to soothsayers …

All in all it’s nice to surmise that someone out there isn’t going to get the average person to reinforce his averageness through creation of percentile calculations – are we beginning to find that having a nickel as a lowest common denominator may intimate that “Pi” the longest non-repeating repeating number is getting closer to a “zero point” (ya, ya i know we missed the end of McKenna’s *(RIP) TimeWave Zero on December 12th last year – i’ll send a postcard from the edge.

Overall i’m hoping that the ecology of muddy money, perhaps rooted in grudgery and drudgery will begin to shine clear as that silver backed beaver …

Image

Cheemo to you, cup of Joe!

– James

A Cup Of Coffee

One of those favorites for the hard-pressed creative type; morning, noon and night.

Ontario Resources

Posted on by
Reply

Hamilton

Emergency Shelters for Men

Good Shepherd Centre
905-528-9109
135 Mary Street, Box 1003,
Hamilton, ON L8N 3R1

Emergency shelter for men in need of temporary accommodation. A daily hot meal is served for non-residents as well. Bag lunch available, also a food bank. Clothing and household items available if needed.

Mission Services Men’s Residence
905-528-7635
325 James Street North,
Hamilton, ON L8L 1H3

Programs available to adult men experiencing a crisis in housing, clothing, finances, and personal well-being. Also emergency men’s shelter.

Booth Centre Single Men’s Hostel
905-527-1444
94 York Boulevard,
Hamilton, ON L8R 1R6

Emergency shelter for men. Provides a bag lunch. Also a daily traveling meal van stopping at several downtown locations between 9 pm and midnight. Call for schedule

Emergency Shelters for Women

Interval House
Crisis Line: 905-387-8881
Business Line: 905-387-9959

A transition house for battered/abused women and their children. Provides meals, emergency clothing and personal needs, 7 days a week.

Martha House
Crisis Line: 905-523-6277
Business Line: 905-523-8895

Emergency family shelter specializing in the care of victims of domestic violence. 28 bed security-equipped transition house for women and children in crisis.

Mary’s Place
905-540-8000

9 bed emergency shelter for homeless women 18 years and older who may experience difficulty in accessing the shelter system.

Native Women’s Centre
905-522-1501

Provides safe emergency shelter for all women regardless of age, ancestry, culture, place of origin or sexual orientation, with or without children, who are experiencing a crisis in their lives due to family violence, homelessness, or conflict with the law.

Inasmuch House
Crisis Line: 905-529-8600
Business Line: 905-529-8149

Emergency shelter for abused and homeless women and their children, as well as female teenagers over the age of 16.
Emergency Shelters for Youth (Ages 16-21)

Notre Dame House
905-308-8090
14 Cannon Street West,
Hamilton, ON L8R 3B3

There are 11 beds available for males and 9 beds available for females. Laundry facilities and meals are provided. Additional services are provided through their resource centre from 9-5 p.m. daily. These include school, employment counselling, addictions counsellings, public health nurse.

http://www.hamilton.ca/HealthandSocialServices/SocialServices/Housing/emergencyShelters.htm

OTTAWA

Here is a list of resources for homeless people in the Ottawa area. Inside, you will find links to food, shelter, and other information. Please suggest a link.

Shelters
Catholic Immigration Services provides temporary accomodations, food, clothing, information, counselling, orientation workshops, and translation services.
Contact: (613) 789-4338
http://www.cic.ca

John Howard Society of Ottawa provides a structured home-like environment for people who require help making transitions (ie:employment, education)(613) 236-3077
http://www.ottawa.johnhoward.ca

National Capital Region YMCA/YWCA
provides single adults with partly furnished rooms for monthly rental, health and wellness facility membership, local phone services; to provide adults and families: accomodations, local phone services, facility access, food money; To provide youth aged 16 to 19 with furnished room, phone and gym access, life skills programs, and goal-setting and achievement program; and to provide on a user pay basis referrals to a budget hotel on nightly or weekly basis for crisis or transient use.
Contact: (613) 788-5063
http://www.educom.on.ca/ymca-ywca/

Shepard’s of Good Hope provides shelter, food, addiction recovery programs, and supportive housing.
Contact: (613) 789-8210
www.shepherdsofgoodhope.com

Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa-Carleton provides rent-geared-to-income housing for youth; and works to re-integrate residents back into the community.
Contact: (613) 729-1000
http://www.ysb.on.ca

Women’s Shelters
Centre Espoir Sophie est une halte accueil qui offre un soutien pratique (repas, paniers de nourriture, produits hygiéniques, buanderie, coupes de cheveux) et émotionnel (accompagnement, écoute, ateliers et activités) aux femmes et à leurs enfants.
Contact: (613) 789-5119
www.centreespoirsophie.ca

Interval House of Ottawa-Carleton provides temporary shelter for women and there children who are escaping domestic violence.
Contact: (613) 234-8511

Harmony House provides medium-term supportive housing for women and their children, who have survived violent relationships.
Contact: (613) 233-3386
www.harmonyhousews.com

Cornerstone / Pilier provides emergency shelter and supportive housing for a of women.
Contact: (613) 237-4669
http://www.alexhoughton.com/cornerstone/

Food

Shepard’s of Good Hope provides food to those in need.
Contact: (613) 789-8210
www.shepherdsofgoodhope.com

Carlington Community and Health Services provides a walk-in clinic, employment guidance; youth programs; newcomers support and nutrition and cooking together.
Contact: (613) 722-4000

Sandy Hill Community Health Centre provides the opportunity for the group to cook and eat a meal together and take food home, along with vitamins and milk vouchers, and helps with babysitting of older children. Also provides bus tickets.
Contact: (613) 789-1500
http://www.sandyhillchc.on.ca

Medical Services
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Advocate and provide client-directed services and programs with and for people with mental health problems. Enhance, promote and maintain the mental health of individuals and communities through education and awareness.
Contact: 613-737-7791
http://www.cmhaottawa.ca/

Carlington Community and Health Services
Provides a walk-in clinic, employment guidance including how to streamlining your employees payroll; youth programs; newcomers support and nutrition and cooking together.
Contact: (613) 722-4000

Centretown Community Health Centre Support for people living on the street or in shelters; health care, outreach and assistance to obtain a health card. Support for people without health insurance.
Contact: (613) 233-4443

Ottawa Inner City Health Project Provide health care services to men and women who are chronically homeless and unable to use regular services due to lifestyle or complex health needs. Four main health services are provided to chronically homeless individuals in Ottawa’s downtown core:
Contact: (613) 562-4500
http://www.med.uottawa.ca/ichpsuo/Home_Page.htm

Royal Ottawa Hospital Our mission is to look for better ways to improve the delivery of services to better meet the needs of the homeless and mentally ill populations.
Contact: (613) 722-6521 x6
http://www.rohcg.on.ca

Somerset West Community Health Centre Provides clients with primary health care, education, technical training, life skills, and employment skills that are tied to today’s world.
Contact: (613) 238-8210
www.swchc.on.ca

Miscellaneous

Alliance to End Homelessness A coalition of community stakeholders committed to working collaboratively to eliminate homelessness by gaining a better understanding of homelessness and developing and implementing strategies to end it
Contact: (613) 241-7913 x 205

Centre 507 Association of Ottawa Provides services to people who are disadvantaged both economically and socially, responding to their changing needs through a variety of free programs.
Contact: (613) 233-5626
http://centre507.ncf.ca/

Financial and Employment Support Provides financial assistance in emergency situations, offering numerous services and programs for senior citizens, immigrants/refugees, the disabled, the homeless, and others.
Contact: (613) 580-2400
http://city.ottawa.on.ca

Housing Help (Ottawa) Assists homeless families and individuals living in shelters in finding find affordable housing.
Contact: (613) 563-4532
http://www.housinghelp.on.ca

National Anti-Poverty Organization Works to ensure that the concerns of low-income people in Canada are heard and respected.
Contact: (613) 789-0096
http://www.napo-onap.ca/

Rideau Street Youth Enterprises Creating opportunities for street and at-risk youth to develop the practical skills and experience they need to enter (or re-enter) the work force, and to become active, contributing members of the local community.
Contact: (613) 562-3864

Salvation Army Offers rehabilitation to men suffering from drug and alcohol addiction through a residential twelve-step recovery program and other addiction services; assists men who are homeless or living in poverty in achieving a substance abuse free lifestyle.
Contact: (613) 241-1573

TORONTO

http://www.211toronto.ca/splash.jsp
your connection to information about community, social, health and government services.

http://ootc.ca/
The Out Of The Cold program provides emergency food and overnight shelter during winter months.

Homeless Nation Toronto’s community partners.

http://www.youthlink.ca/innercity.htm
Youth Link Inner City provides drop-in and outreach services to street involved and homeless youth.

http://sketch.ca/
Working arts for street involved and homeless youth.

http://www.stchrishouse.org/adults/meeting-place/
The Meeting Place offers drop-in services to homeless and underhoused adults.

The Parkdale Activity – Recreation Centre offers drop-in and outreach supports to psychiatric survivors and socially isolated adults.

http://tdrc.net/index.php?page=home

Toronto Disaster Relief Committee
Political advocacy group working to end homelessness with a national housing strategy, and to relieve suffering of homeless people by advocating for better emergency relief measures in Toronto, including increased shelter space and public health services * no individual case work

http://ocap.ca/
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Direct action anti-poverty organization * campaigns against regressive government policies * advocates for individuals facing eviction, termination of social assistance & deportation.

http://homelessnation.org/en/node/336

B.C. man not guilty of welfare fraud

Posted on by

Vanderhoof – A man accused of stealing $50,000 in welfare money may have been living as “buddies with benefits” with another man, but a BC judge has ruled there was no proof that the two men were living in a common-law relationship.

The finding was key to provincial court Judge Darrell O’Byrne’s decision to throw out a fraud charge against Gordon Street of Vanderhoof.

Street was charged over accusations he received too much social assistance money, with the Crown arguing he failed to disclose he was in a common-law relationship with another man.

Street collected $50,000 over a period of five years beginning in 2001.

In September 2001, Street said he was single and never married on his assistance review, although he claimed to be living with someone at least twice while making claims for financial help.