SOAR goals to vary narrative on homelessness with new marketing campaign

Article content material

SOAR Neighborhood Providers has launched a brand new marketing campaign to vary the narrative surrounding Brantford’s homeless inhabitants.

Article content material

“Homelessness is Exhausting. Cease Making it Tougher” goals to finish the stigma and alter the language used to explain town’s homeless.

Article content material

Really useful Movies

Article content material

“We need to discuss to folks and have them perceive the struggles homeless folks have and the way we will make issues simpler for them,” mentioned Katie Curtis, SOAR’S senior director of companies. “There are plenty of stigmatizing feedback that we’re listening to in the neighborhood, on the road and on social media.”

Curtis and her colleague Danielle Woodman, director of companies, housing, handle SOAR’s housing useful resource centre on Murray Road and say the stigmatizing feedback aren’t simply demoralizing. The additionally don’t replicate the fact.

“We would like our neighborhood to grasp that homelessness shouldn’t be a private shortcoming,” Curtis mentioned. “It’s a systemic problem that SOAR is addressing each day by offering entry to shelter, everlasting housing and compassionate assist.

Article content material

“Homelessness is tough and we’re asking the neighborhood to not make it tougher.”

Woodman and Curtis shared the story of a person who got here to the entry centre for assist after being evicted from his residence.

The person had just lately undergone spinal surgical procedure and was receiving unemployment advantages. Nonetheless, the mixture of medical bills and diminished earnings left him unable to cowl his lease, Woodman mentioned.

The SOAR staff was in a position to get him right into a motel earlier than discovering an emergency shelter that was in a position accommodate him. The person additionally had mobility points, Woodman mentioned.

SOAR employees at the moment are working with him to seek out everlasting, accessible housing.

The housing useful resource centre has a bathe and laundry accessible to those that are homeless. The centre additionally gives socks, mittens, hand heaters and snacks.

Article content material

“When somebody walks by way of our doorways searching for emergency shelter, they’re usually exhausted, anxious and uncertain the place to show,” Woodman mentioned. “We meet them with respect, assist them really feel secure and search for a path ahead.

“It’s necessary to do not forget that stability is a gradual course of.”

Winter is probably the most harmful season for many who are homeless and the main target is on security and discovering shelter as rapidly as potential. Chilly climate will increase threat of publicity, sickness medical issues and trauma, Curtis mentioned.

Road homelessness is a visual symptom of a a lot bigger situation that features a lack of reasonably priced housing, psychological well being helps and earnings safety, Woodman mentioned.

Displacement shouldn’t be the reply, Woodman mentioned.

Article content material

“Demand for housing assist is excessive throughout the province,” Woodman mentioned. “Right this moment, in Ontario, greater than 36,000 persons are on wait lists for psychological well being and addictions supportive housing.”

Curtis and Woodman mentioned eliminating the stigma is a crucial step in serving to the homeless and the broader neighborhood.

“After we decide as a substitute of assist, we delay options that work – housing, psychological well being care, hurt discount, earnings helps and neighborhood connection,” Curtis mentioned.

Residents may help with the marketing campaign in many alternative methods. They will donate meals or clothes or they’ll merely problem among the unfavourable stereotypes or feedback seen on social media. When it comes to clothes, mittens and socks are at all times welcome right now of yr.

“We all know there are plenty of superb folks in our neighborhood who’re supporting the work that we’re doing,” Curtis mentioned. “I can’t say sufficient concerning the assist we obtain from these people and organizations.

“However their efforts and voices are being drowned out by the unfavourable feedback particularly these we see on social media.”

Vball@postmedia.com

@EXPVBall

Article content material