Supportive Housing of Waterloo

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May 3, 2011

Tonight I was pleased to attend the annual general meeting for Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW), an apartment complex in my ward that has taken 30 individuals experiencing persistent homelessness off of our streets and into safe housing. The project was instigated by the faith groups behind the Out of the Cold program and supported by all levels of government, and many more members of the community.

In bringing greetings from the City, I reflected on canvassing the building last fall, as I was campaigning across the ward. Residents of SHOW, who would have every right to believe that nothing promised them by government would come to pass, and nothing about support for them would change, I was moved by how most residents were engaged and enthusiastic about voting. I wouldn’t be surprised if the residents at SHOW had one of the highest turnouts in the City.

In the meeting, we heard from Colin and Ron, two residents of the building, who talked about their personal journeys and what SHOW has meant for their lives. More than anything, they and other residents have immediately begun giving back to their community. Colin and Ron, now an outreach worker himself, participate in roundtables to help social workers to understand better the signs of addictions and how to approach real people experiencing those challenges, and to brainstorm about how to do more. Ron has also found the stability to produce fantastic art, donating the proceeds to SHOW.

I want to thank all the founding members and the members of the Board for their tireless efforts as the dream translates into the new challenges of day-to-day management. I also want to particularly thank Tricia Siemens for her leadership as Chair, and welcome Barry Cull to that post.

If you want to help SHOW, they are looking for people who would be willing to volunteer at the building at 362 Erb Street West once every three weeks for a four-hour shift (4 p.m. – 8 p.m. or 8 p.m. – midnight) to assist and support the full-time YWCA staff. Volunteers would receive sufficient training this spring. Interested people should contact barb-volunteers@supportivehousingofwaterloo.org or leave a message for Barb at 519-571-9408.

If you aren’t able to help with time, donations can be made online at http://www.supportivehousingofwaterloo.org/ through its Canada Helps button.

Thank you again to SHOW for their invitation to attend.