Martin Jones thanked members for their generous donations in honour of Dave Martindale that will go towards the building of a school in Kenya. The cheque will be sent by the end of the week. We will be having a special recognition of Dave at a meeting in the fall with updates on the building of the school
Our program today was an update from our A Better Tent City committee presented by committee chair Neil Swayze.
With a commitment to supporting our residents to live in community, with dignity and with access to essential supports, we work in partnership with local community service organizations to continuously improve the quality of life at A Better Tent City. ABTC began as a crisis response to unsafe living conditions exacerbated by the pandemic by providing a home, community and connection to services and healthcare on a path to stable housing for over 50 previously unsheltered residents of our region. ABTC is home to those for whom no other home has or could be provided.
ABTC residents are: • adult men and women who are considered 'hard to house' • previously unsheltered or have been precariously housed for years • struggling with mental illness, trauma and/or drug additions that preclude them from living independently or accessing emergency shelters • seeking to stabilize their lives to: improve their health; re-establish their relationships with family and community; reclaim dignity by being a part of an affirming community; find hope and begin to imagine a different future. Primary activities of our organization are focused on providing the necessities of life (a safe home, healthy meals, access to washrooms, showers and laundry facilities) and on supporting residents to contribute to the community we are co-creating.
Residents contribute to the community by: • contributing their ‘shelter allowance’ from OW or ODSP • cleaning the kitchen, washrooms, laundry facilities and other shared spaces • assisting with meal preparation • assisting with maintenance, gardening and construction projects • supporting one another.
We very deliberately chose the name A Better Tent City because although it's not perfect, it's better than the alternatives. It's better than people freezing to death. It's better than people living in tents and setting fire to themselves and others as they try to stay warm. It's better than people using toxic drugs without anyone to help in the event of an overdose. What makes it even better is having small but private accommodations in winterized cabins. It's better because by living in community, residents have improved access to harm reduction and essential life stabilization services including regular visits by the Sanguen Mobile Health van.
Someone is on-site at all times to handle emergencies, the stresses of living precariously, and the challenges of navigating the social welfare system. A Better Tent City provides washrooms, showers, laundry facilities, meals, snacks and basic hygiene supplies. It has three linked portable classrooms that have been converted into a warm and welcoming gathering space with a pool table, newspapers, a TV, shared clothing closet and tables for dining and activities. There are 50 full-time residents at ABTC. Another (approximately) 30 guests stay with residents on a regular basis. And on any given day, some 40 visitors make their way to the site for food, showers, laundry and companionship.
For our first two and a half years ABTC had one employee; we now have four full time employees, several part-time and occasional staff, and over 50 active volunteers. These volunteers keep buildings, mechanical systems and plumbing in good repair, replenish supplies, provide activities on site to engage and support residents, or participate in our collaborative cooking initiative to prepare daily meals with and for ABTC residents. Another 20-30 volunteers make desserts or parts of meals and deliver them each month. ABTC continues to rely heavily on the support of community volunteers and has created opportunities to engage people across our region who seek to give dignity back to those who they recognize have lost so much.
Social Enterprise Funding Request
ABC is presently seeking funding to support the next phase of the development of our social enterprise. With 2023 project funding from The Community Foundation, we engaged The Community Company (TCC) to successfully complete the research phase for our resident-supported social enterprise and determine the following leading idea: A line of ABTC artisanal products created by residents through facilitated working groups with community artists and makers. Examples could include jewelry making, textile production, woodworking, clay and pottery, upcycled clothing and totes, silk screening etc. TCC’s work on this project is presently focused on branding.
This involves working with residents to create the brand’s story and narrative, understanding the why, creating the visual identity, brand assets, and a professional website to support residents to generate income through the sale of items they create. The next phase of development (for which we are seeking funding support) will focus on launching the enterprise. This involves contracting with TCC to confirm local makers and retail sales community partners, create the launch strategy, refine the business model, engage community volunteers and residents in product creation, register the Social Enterprise, as well as marketing, photography, videography, content creation, planning and coordinating the enterprise launch day. Residents and ABTC volunteers have been extensively involved as key informants in the research phase and their ongoing involvement will continue to be integral to the success of the launch phase. Staff, volunteers and residents will be trained in the essential elements of the ongoing operation this initiative.
Kitchener Rotary e-Newsletter
