$10,000 Donation Helps Launch Morning Drop-in Program In Partnership From PATH and Elizabeth Fry Society

Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) has donated $10,000 to support the Morning Drop-in Program at the Trinity Community Centre (One City Peterborough) in partnership with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough as it reaches its two-year anniversary in January next year.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Fry Society.

PATHs has been a community partner of the Morning Drop-in since October last year according to a press release. The partnership has been centred around providing clothing and other textile-related resources to those who access the program. It continues to state that along with the donation, PATH volunteers will take on a more active role at The Morning Drop-In, facilitating the Community Resource Room (clothing and hygiene supplies) and other programming (to be announced later).

“Elizabeth Fry wishes to express our deep appreciation to PATH for their donation, community partnership and the services they will help to provide for our community,” said Kristal Jones-Craighead, Morning Drop-in Program Facilitator. “When organizations work alongside each other, capacity is increased. The Morning Drop-in Program will provide direct service experience and mentorship to PATH volunteers and enables them to create relationships and trust as they provide this service for our unsheltered neighbours.”

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough has operated the Morning Drop-in Program since January 2023. Located at 360 Reid St. in partnership with One City Peterborough, the Program is a space where community members can gather, share a light breakfast, enjoy a cup of coffee, access the Community Resource Room (clothing/hygiene items), washrooms, and showers, connect with housing outreach workers, access harm reduction supplies, participate in community programs and have the occasional dance party.

Some program highlights include:

• 428 days of Morning Drop-in service

• Served an average of 46 guests per day

• 19,688 meals served

• Housing Outreach accessed approximately 260 times

• The full impact report can be viewed online

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Elizabeth Fry Society's Tearing Down Walls On Drug Addiction For Anti-Stigma Day

Elizabeth Fry Society kickstarted dialogue for those suffering from drug addiction as it held its fourth annual Anti-Stigma Day at Millennium Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Kayla Farewell, Elizabeth Fry housing case manager (left) and Mourin Moyen, Elizabeth Fry volunteer (right), hold anti-stigma rocks that were hand-painted at the event and available for attendees. This is the fourth annual event by the Society which began in 2021 and runs every June 26. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The event is always held on June 26 and runs alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.’ It supports the war on drugs and helps destigmatize those who are struggling while using substances.

Anti-Stigma Day is one way of creating awareness and dialogue. Understanding those suffering from drug addictions is one way to destigmatize the notion according to Kayla Farewell, Elizabeth Fry housing case manager.

“It's not always a choice. Addiction can be really hard to come out and mostly what we ask for is just understanding,” she explained. Everyone is walking their own path. All of these organizations believe in walking alongside people as they walk their own path and it's just showing that compassion, understanding and a willingness to learn. A lot of the stigma comes from not knowing from ignorance whether that's purposeful or not.”

The YES Shelter, One City PTBO, Moms Stop the Harm, John Howard Society, Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network, Peterborough 260 Nurse Practitioner-Left Clinic, Peterborough Public Health and Canadian Addiction Treatment Services were in attendances with tables to offer information sessions during the event.

Farewell says being open about having a conversation and not shying away from it, whether you are suffering or hearing out someone else, is a huge step towards ending the stigma.

“Starting dialogues with people, even people that you love, that you know have an addiction in the past, making sure you're not afraid to talk about it and making sure that you're not afraid to look away,” she said. “It is very present in our community and the instinct for a lot of people is just to look the other way but it's very important to come together as a community to help the people who live here who use substances.”

A community effort of having sympathy and empathy for those who are suffering from drug addiction is vital to destigmatization.

“They are just people,” said Farewell. “We are all a bad event from being in that position ourselves so having that sympathy, having that love and approaching it with open arms is really the key to all of it. It's takes community to come to get to help lift people up out of the tough spots.”

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New PTBO Strong Restaurant Booklet Launched to Support Mental Health

Peterborough diners can save on local eateries while supporting mental health initiatives as PTBO Strong has launched their fundraising restaurant book, ‘Reversing the Trend.’

The deals cannot be combined with any other offer. Photo courtesy of PTBO Strong.

The booklet has various buy-one-get-one-free deals for over 50 different throughout Peterborough. Some participating restaurants include Taso’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, Curry Mantra, P.J.’s Diner, The Pin, Brothers Pizza and more.

They can be purchased online for $30 and supports mental health initiatives from organizations such as A Right to Heal (that also carries the booklets for purchase), Elizabeth Fry - Ellen House, Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) and Kawartha Food Share (KFS).

“We are happy about that as it helps a little with our fundraising,” said Sheila Nabigon-Howlett of PATH. “I have used the booklet several times and found it great on all occasions. It’s a great deal for the diner also for mental health advocacy in Peterborough and of course for the restaurant owners as well.”

“We are so thankful to be included as the recipients of the Peterborough Strong Restaurant Book,” said Ashlee Aitken, KFS general manager. “It has been an incredibly tough couple of years for our clients and member agencies with the rising cost of food and living. These proceeds will allow us to purchase much-needed food items to keep our food bank shelves well stocked for our community members in need.”

More restaurants will be added to the booklet in the near future according to Tim Burke, PTBO Strong co-founder. They expire in July of next year.

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Elizabeth Fry Society's Anti-Stigma Day Raising Awareness and Education On Substance Use

Creating a dialogue and education on substance users was the mission for the Elizabeth Fry Society's Anti-Stigma Day that was held at Millennium Park on Monday afternoon.

Alana Parisien, EFry housing manager (LEFT) and Chelsey McGowan, EFry peer services manager (RIGHT) with "Stigma Ain't It, Bestie," and "You Matter" buttons for their 2023 Anti-Stigma Day for those who use substances. This is the third annual event by the Society that began back in 2021 and runs every June 26. pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

The event is always held on June 26 and runs alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.’ It supports the war on drugs and helps destigmatize those who are struggling while using substances.

Anti-Stigma Day is one way of creating awareness and dialogue to help bring an understanding of those dealing with substances according to Alana Parisien, Elizabeth Fry Society housing manager.

“They're combatting the stigma that's been perpetuated from the war on drugs which is kind of the historical day,” she explained. “Historically, it supports the war on drugs which we know is failing our community and perpetuating stigma.”

John Howard Society, Canadian Mental Health Association, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network and Peterborough Public Health among several other organizations were present with tents and kiosks at the event. They range from free giveaways, educational activities, a free listening session, games and information sessions.

One of the stigmas that those dealing with substances are the words and negative connotations behind them according to Parisien.

“I think a lot of stigma that we see, just typically in our community could be around the language that folks use,” explained Parisien. “Saying stigmatizing words like ‘junkie’ or narratives that are ‘why can't they get jobs?’ or ‘why can't they get well?’ or commenting like that, maybe just maybe a lack of understanding.”

Rather than raising judgment, opening a dialogue with compassion for those suffering is the proper way to approach the stigmatized said Parisien.

“Treat everybody like you would treat your own brother,” she explained. “If it's something you don't understand necessarily, maybe take some time to talk to someone as you would your neighbour to understand what they're going through each day.”

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20th Annual Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale Was a Grand Old Time

The 20th Annual Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale was today, and thousands of people showed up on a beautiful day in the Patch. Just about everything was up for sale, from baked goods and books to kid's toys and antiques. Numerous fundraising groups were at this epic garage sale, such as Plants for Parkinson's, Elizabeth Fry Society and Rock Camp for Girls (aka RC4G), who were selling used items to go to their camper subsidy and gear funds.  

Here's some pictures our Creative Director Evan Holt took at the event, which is so popular it spills over into neighbouring streets. 

 

 

[Related: An event first, a yard sale second]

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