First evening served nine people, offering food, hot beverages and warm clothes
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There are homeless people struggling to get through the winter in Melfort. The city’s Marquerite Riel Centre, with broad support from the community, is reaching out to help them.
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This week the center launched a nighttime mobile outreach program that goes into the streets offering food, hot beverages, toques, warm clothing and blankets to those in need.
The center’s director, Joanne Yakowec, said nine people used the service on its first evening, which was Tuesday.
“It also helps us connect with those who may be living on the street and to let them know there are services available in the community, and try to get them connected with some of the daytime services,” Yakowec said.
“Hopefully we can help with their situation and help get them off the streets and into housing, or at least keep them safe.”
She said at any given time there are about 10 people living on the streets of Melfort. There are also homeless transients coming through the city. Many others don’t have their own home and are “bouncing from place to place wherever they can stay.”
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“Melfort doesn’t have shelters or resources for homelessness overnight,” Yakowec said. “We have seen that there is a need especially for cold weather services.”
The pilot project has funding to run until March 31, Yakowec said. The Rural and Remote Homelessness program of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and Service Canada is providing the funding.
“It will help us see what kind of need there is in the community and then hopefully we can get longer term funding to run it next winter,” she said.
A daytime homelessness program has been in place at the Marguerite Riel Center for about four years, also funded through the Rural and Remote Homelessness program.
Two staff members work in the daytime program, helping people look for housing, advocating on their behalf with landlords, and providing pre-employment skills. A soup kitchen runs every second Thursday and there is also an emergency food component of the program.
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“There has been a real increase in those needing emergency food,” Yakowec said. “We have quite a bit more homeless people in Melfort than what people realize.”
Yakowec said the center is fortunate to have strong support from the wider community. Donations of clothing, blankets and food come in regularly.
Melfort has recently formed a homelessness committee made up of different agencies. It is looking for ways to improve the problem.
Opened in 1998, the Marguerite Riel Center has offered a variety of programs for children, youth, and families, including those related to parenting, life skills, healing circles, anger management, employment readiness, and cultural programming.
The center is located at 104 Burrows Ave. W.