Temporary shelter bridges gap for homeless men during COVID-19 pandemic

A temporary shelter at the YMCA is filling an important gap for homeless men in the region, as staffers say the pandemic makes it difficult for many to access social services.

The shelter has been running for more than eightweeks now, staffed by workers from the region and the YWCA who providefood, showers and support to roughly 60 men.

Staff working at the shelter said they alsohope to use the opportunity to build meaningful connections with the men who are staying there.

"They don't get that in a lot of places," saidJulie Lynch, a staff member with the YWCA, who works overnight at the shelter.

"We're a safe place to be. They know they're wanted. They know there will be someone that will hug them, that will listen to them, that will talk with them."

The 24-hour shelter offers showers, meals andlaundry services and surfaces are sanitized as much as possible. Men staying at the shelteralso have access to computers, musical instruments and movie nights.

COVID-19 an added barrierto access supports

Kaitlin Boyko, also a staff member with the YWCA and a day time coordinator at the shelter, said the pandemichas made it "almost nearly impossible" for the region's homeless population to navigatesocial services.

"The needs that they require, in terms of mental health supports, addiction support, medication support, those things changedand shifted in a way that they felt they no longer could navigate that system," she said.

"There is nothing that is open and [services] that shifted to a phone call or a Zoom call, which mostpeople don't understand or aren't familiar with it,that can be a difficult transition to make for people if they are willing to try."

Boykoand Lynch said pandemic has also put those with an addictionin a vulnerable situation. Accessingdrugs has become more difficult and what's available maybe cut with otheringredients, creating alethal mix.

"We have seen an influx in overdoses since our move here to the YMCA," Boykosaid, noting there have been no fatal overdoses so far.

On-site supports necessary

That's why having on-site supports, likeSanguen Health Centre and Lutherwood, isso important right now, Boyko said.

Staff from Lutherwoodare on-site Monday to Friday working withthe men to find housing, whileSanguen Health Centre provide the men with COVID-19screening and primary health care services twice a week.

"A lot of our focus with the health bus has been around COVID-19 and doing assessments," said Kathy McKenna, a registered nurse with Sanguen, who previously worked as a public health nurse for 33 years.

McKenna said they're oftenbusy when they arrive at the YMCA in the afternoons. She said doing regular screeningopens up the opportunity for the men totalk about other health issues they might be experiencing or concerned about.

"That's partly because we've had those relationships develop and we really do our work througha harm reduction lense. Meeting people where they're at, treating people with compassion and care and treating people as a human being," McKenna said.

'Very rewarding' experience

Getting to know the men staying at the shelterhas been rewardingfor Chris Taylor and Barb Cardow, regional employees that were redeployed to work at the YMCA shelter.

"Initially, it was a little scary, this is a population that I wasn't very familiar with," said Taylor, who has worked as afamily support worker with the region for 28 years.

"Being able to share a joke with somebody you've met and you've talk to day in and day out and just developing a sincere relationship, it has been very rewarding."

Cardow, who is the region's director ofchildren services,echoes that experience, and though she only worked at the shelter one day, she says she'd jump atthe opportunity to go back.

"I would love to go back and spend some time in there and in my role as a director, I think it was really good for me to experience being right where the work is happening," she said.

"I would love to do this again."