Sunshine Coast Homelessness Services
5653 Wharf Rd V0N 3A0 Sechelt, BC, Canada

Homeless outreach drop in clinic restarts this Friday at the Gibsons Public Library. Thanks to the Gibsons Public Library for continuing to partner with RainCity to provide a space for Tyler to connect with folks. If you’re in need or housing or more stable housing please come and see Tyler, he will be happy to talk about the services RainCity has to offer. Drop in is available 10am - 12pm on Friday’s at the library.

INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY. Today, August 31st marks International Overdose Awareness Day. Given the current toxic and poisoned supply in our community we do not refer to these deaths as overdose’s, rather drug poisonings. We acknowledge that the drug supply is currently poisoned and its these toxic and poisonous drugs that are leading to the significant rates of overdoses we are seeing across the province and in our community here on the Sunshine Coast. Today ...is about honoring the lives and legacies of those we have lost in our communities through these drug poisoning's and it is also about bringing awareness around the toxic supply and the supports available to those using substances in our community. Here in BC we are seeing record numbers of "overdoses" this year, each month the numbers get higher. We are seeing this parallel here on the Sunshine Coast where we have lost loved and valued members of our community to the poisoned drug supply this year. Each of these lives was precious, each life was valued, and each person deserves to be alive today. Today as a team and community we remember those we have lost and the impacts that they had on us and our community. These folks may be gone but they will never be forgotten and their spirit we continue to drive us on to fight this pandemic each and every day. For those still using substances in our community, know that we see you, we hear you, we respect you, we care about you and your right to life. We will never stop trying to support folks in their addiction and will always look for ways to keep you and our community safe. If you are using substances we would encourage you today and every day to the following: Access a Safe Consumption Space (SCS) or the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) at the Sechelt shelter (1pm 1am) NEVER USE ALONE Get trained to use naloxone and carry this with you Get your drugs tested (for fentanyl and benzos) testing available at the Sechelt shelter 24/7. Access safe supply options see your Doctor or connect with VCH. Consider detox and treatment Download the LIFEGUARD app Use the peer phone line operated by peers from the Community Action Team. Please know that anyone struggling with addiction and is looking for support can find non-judgmental support daily at the Overdose Prevention Site at the Sechelt shelter. Staff at both Hightide Supportive Housing and the Sechelt shelter are also on hand to chat to you around safe use and the tools currently available to keep you safe. It takes a community to keep each other safe and we want our community to know the team at RainCity are here to help.

As the COVID-19 situation intensifies, we’ve put measures in place for the safety of our residents, participants and staff. To minimize contact we are not accepting drop-offs of clothing or donations of other items at this time. Thank you for your understanding and continued support! Another way to support us is to donate safely and securely from your own home by visiting our direct donation page. Huge thanks to all of you who donate to us and make it possible for us to respond even faster to this crisis. https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/DonationPage.aspx

Tomorrow (Wednesday 11th March) the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (AKA welfare) will be providing a drop in clinic with one of their Community Integration Specialists. This drop in will be happening at the Sechelt Shelter, located at 5653 Wharf Ave in Sechelt from 1pm - 3pm. If you're without a home or know someone who is homeless in our community and needs support from the ministry, then please send them across to the drop in at the Sechelt shelter. We hope to have more of these drop in's moving forward and we are very excited to partner with the MSDPR to provide this access opportunity for our folks.

This week we launched our peer led work program at Hightide Supportive Housing. The peer work program at Hightide aims to give our tenants paid work opportunities in their community. We are super excited at RainCity to get this program off the ground. Below is a picture of our newly formed Neighbourhood Clean Team who will be out 7 days a week cleaning up the areas in Sechelt around the Hightide program. Our peers will be wearing high visibility jackets and we encourage you... to stop and say hello if you see them in the community. Please also feel free to let our peer workers know if you see any areas around Hightide Ave that needed to be cleaned up, they will be happy to help. It is clear that the supportive housing in Sechelt is helping to change the lives of those residing here and has given many a space to call home in our community. Our folks having been asking how they can give back to the community and their neighbours and the neighbourhood clean team is just one of those ways. We thank the peer workers for getting involved and continuing to be good neighbours in our community. Our folks rock!!

A huge heartfelt THANK YOU from RainCity and our folks to the children in grade 3 at Cedar Grove Elementary in Gibsons, who recently held a bake sale to raise funds for our folks. The children made a fantastic amount and used these funds to go shopping and created personalized handmade gift bags for their neighbours without a home. These gifts bags will be very much appreciated and will no doubt bring smiles to peoples faces in the coming days. It’s inspiring to see young c...hildren and our elementary schools teaching children about homelessness in our community. It really does take a community to support those without homes, thank you to the kids for showing such compassion. A special mention to the teachers who made this a reality for our children. It took a lot of time, work and coordination but the outcome was incredible. Thanks to Cedar Grove and School District 46 for your support. Below is a photo of the gift bags created by the children. They will be warmly received.

Donation request!!! Calling on our generous community again. We are looking for: - twin and double sized blankets (nothing bigger please and no sleeping bags ... needed) - pillows - cutlery (forks, knives and spoons) - mugs - board games and puzzles If you have any of the above laying around collecting dust, feel free to message us on FB or call us @ 604-740-8160. Any donations would be much appreciated!!! Thanks again -ST

Dear Sunshine Coast Residents, Hightide Supportive Housing in Sechelt is reaching out to our wonderful community for donations: We are in need of: ... Art Supplies: watercolor paints, oil paints, canvases, easels, crayons, colored pencils, charcoal pencils, sketch pads etc. Musical Instruments: acoustic guitars, ukulele, percussion instruments, accordion, any small handheld instruments Photography: Old analog and/ or digital cameras Please consider supporting our folks to explore their creative endeavors. We all know that doing art and music is cathartic. Hightide aims to provide creative programming for our residents though we cannot do it without the generosity of our community. Thank you to everyone who has donated in the past!

EMERGENCY SHELTER AVAILABLE IN SECHELT AND GIBSONS TONIGHT!! With temperatures down to -5 on the coast now more than ever it’s important that those outside or suffering due to the cold seek shelter. We have beds available at both the Gibsons Shelter at 464 South Fletcher Road and Sechelt Shelter at 5653 Wharf Ave in Sechelt.... If you’re out in the cold or know anyone that’s needs shelter and warmth please send them to either of the shelters. Staff are ready to assist folks. Let’s help to keep our fellow community members safe and get those indoors who need shelter. - NG

A huge shoutout and thanks to the Gibsons Howe Sound pharmacy for the recent fundraising and donations for RainCity Housing. These items will go a long way to make our folks feel more comfortable this Christmas. A huge thanks to the pharmacy and staff team for supporting our work and their community.

GIBSONS WINTER SHELTER NOW OPEN!! Located in the ground level of the Arts Building at 464 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons. Entrance is located off Winn Road. The Gibsons shelter is open 7 days a week, 6pm - 8am. Hot meal served at 6.30pm each night. ... If you know someone who requires shelter or if you require shelter please drop by the shelter anytime between 6pm - 8am and staff will be available to assist you. The phone number for the Gibsons shelter which was launched tonight is 604-740-5479. Please call this number if you’re looking for a bed or would like to speak with staff at the shelter. This year the shelter supervisor is named Megan and you can reach Megan at [email protected] if you have any questions. Thanks to all those community members who dropped by with donations tonight. It was only the first night and we received food, blankets, gift bags and jackets for the shelter and our folks. Thank you to everyone who donated items, we appreciate the support of the community to support our folks. Please reach out to the contact details above if you have any questions about the Gibsons shelter. Thankful to have more warms spaces in our community tonight. - NG

Hi Community, We know the weather has got really cold this week and the staff team at RainCity have been working hard around the clock to put everything in place to get Gibsons Winter Response Shelter (WRS) operational by December 1st. We are happy to announce we WILL be ready and open at 6pm on Sunday night here in Gibsons. The WRS will be located at 464 South Fletcher Road in Gibsons this season. For those who know lower Gibsons the entrance is located next to the Sunshine... Coast museum on Winn Road. There will be signs on the sidewalk directing folks on opening night. The doors to the shelter open at 6pm. If you know anyone who needs shelter in our community then please direct them to the shelter on Sunday night. Staff will be ready to welcome them inside and provide a warm meal and a comfortable bed. We would like to thank the Town of Gibsons and BC Housing for partnering with RainCity Housing to provide emergency warm shelter in Gibsons. We would also like to thank our neighbours and community in Gibsons who have been contacting us this week to offer support. A special mention to our partners in community for all their help this week. It truly takes a community to address the issue of homelessness. Thanks to our community 15 more people will have warm shelter on Sunday. Please share this post across Facebook so we can get the word out to the community we’re opening on Sunday. More details will be posted on Facebook on Sunday evening. - NG #raincityhousing #bchousing #townofgibsons #gibsonssalvationarmy #addressinghomeless #ahomeforeveryperson #totallypreventable

Hi Community, As many of you know we will be opening the Gibsons Winter Response Shelter (WRS) on Sunday 1st December. The shelter will be located at the Arts Building at 464 South Fletcher Road this season (under the daycare). We have secured funding to provide meal service this year but as with years gone by, we would like to extend an invitation to the community to donate meals for the shelter this season. We have already received request from community members to do thi...s. Thank you community!! We are currently looking for meals for 15 people on Friday and Saturday evenings (6.30pm). Please see the attached link for the take them a meal page we have created for the Gibsons shelter this season. If you would like to donate a meal we encourage you to sign up on the attached website. We thank the Sunshine Coast community for your support and generosity as we work to bring those outside indoors. www.TakeThemAMeal.com/MTBO5802 - NG

Hi Community, Some of our residents at the new Hightide supportive housing building have come to ask that we post to the community for some donations for the program. Folks have been requesting the following: Outside basketball hoop (similar to the one pictured) ... Board games Arts and crafts supplies If you have any of the above and would like to donate, you can either drop them off directly at Hightide housing located at 5656 Hightide Ave, Sechelt or you can contact our outreach worker Tyler at [email protected] who can facilitate pick up. Thank you for your continued support of our folks and our community.

This film resonates with the challenges we are facing on the lower Sunshine Coast. Big kudos to the filmmakers Powell River Digital Film School for shedding light on the reality of homelessness in our rural communities. Now for more housing for all those in our community who are suffering homelessness or at risk of homelessness. #ahomeforeveryperson

Some thoughtful and interesting points regarding discarded needles.

Hi Coasters! We are looking for a wooden picnic table for our shelter deck. If you have one laying around or know of someone who does, please let us know.Direct message on FB or email [email protected]. We thank-you for your continued generosity and support!

The day is finally upon us, we start moving folks into our new Hightide supportive housing building in Sechelt today. We couldn’t be more excited to invite folks into their new homes. Today has been many years in the making and we would like to take a moment to thank all our supporters and community partners who made today a reality. Without the support of the Sunshine Coast community we wouldn’t be opening our doors today. Finally we would like to wish our new tenants all ...the best in their new housing. We are excited to work with our folks on their goals and dreams. Today is a good day for our folks and our community. Today is a win for social justice in our community. - NG

Thank you to Arrowhead Clubhouse for the lovely post. We are very lucky to have wonderful partners like Sunshine Coast Community Services Society and Arrowhead helping to support those in our community. We can’t wait to welcome their clients and the other tenants into the building.

*TENT REQUEST* Hello Coasters, We are calling upon our wonderful sunshine coast community and your great giving spirits. We are looking for small tents, (1 to 4 person). If you or somebody you know has tents or camping gear that is collecting dust, or that you are done using please consider donating to the less fortunate this season. ... We are currently working on preparing for these hot summer months by collecting tents for those that may be sleeping outside this season. If this is something you can help out with, it will be really appreciated. Please feel free to contact me @ 604 989 5179 or email at [email protected] to arrange for pick up or drop off. Thank you so much, Tyler Hubscher

Today we are proud of our team for taking a stand, allying with their community and fighting for social justice and the lives of everyone. Today is the national day of action regarding the drug poisonings we are seeing not only in our province but across Canada. Too many lives are being taken needlessly. We stand with our brothers and sisters and all members of our community and fight this fight, remembering those we lost on the way. We send support to those that have lost an...d love to those we will continue to lose. No one should be dying from drug related overdoses, NO ONE!! We say ENOUGH!!! Time for action!!! #totallypreventable #cleandrugssavelives

Hi Coasters! Calling on our generous community again. We are looking for a desktop computer to replace the one we have that isn't working. Something with Windows 10 and relatively fast would be ideal. So, if you have a desktop tower laying around collecting dust, feel free to message us on FB or @ 604-740-2399. Any donations would be much appreciated!!!... Thanks again -ST

People of the Sunshine Coast and Sechelt Nation! RainCity has launched a new website and we'd love it if you came over for a visit - let us know what you think! - BB https://www.raincityhousing.org

Hi wonderful coast community, We are nearing the opening of our new supportive housing project on Hightide in Sechelt. Given the opening of the new program we have openings available on the coast at both the shelter on Trail and housing on Hightide for new support staff to join the team. If you love working with people. Are compassionate and empathetic and have a huge heart we would love to hear from you. Supporting our community is so fulfilling and worthwhile work. We hav...e an awesome team with awesome clients and the work can really feel rewarding. If you’re interested in working for RainCity or know anyone that is please forward them to the link below where they can read about the postings and how to apply. Excited to hear from people. Please share this post so folks get to see it NOTE!! Please use the url below, NOT the image link. Thanks! - NG https://www.raincityhousing.org//sechelt-relief-support-w/

We are hearing from folks in Sechelt who have been stranded there after work with the road closures and bus cancellations. If you have nowhere to stay in Sechelt tonight and can’t make it home please head to the shelter at 5653 Wharf Ave. We have no available beds but we do have comfy couches, washrooms, hot drinks and free wifi. Please come and hang out at the shelter and stay warm rather than in your car. These cold temperatures can be very dangerous. The same goes for Gib...sons. If you’re outside or struggling to make it home please head to the shelter at 599 Gower Point Road. Staff will be able to give you a warm drink and somewhere warm to be tonight. We just want to make sure as always that everyone in the community is safe and has somewhere to go for support. The team at RainCity will continue to do what we can to keep folks safe and warm. I just want to say a huge thanks to the staff team at RainCity for literally battling the conditions to make it to work to keep folks safe. We at RainCity are very proud of our staff team and all they do for their community. - NG

Town of Gibsons has announced it will open a cold weather drop-in site in the former Health Authority offices below the SD46 headquarters next to the Town Hall ...on South Fletcher beginning at 8:30 am and until 4:30 pm or until the shelter opens at 6. All are welcome and coffee, treats and lunch will be provided. The shelter in the Town, which has been serving anywhere from 7 to 15 people since opening last fall, is only funded to operate nights and evenings

Please share! Far and wide! Thanks

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT. Environment Canada has issued a severe weather warning for our region tonight. High winds with temperatures feeling like -20. High possibility of frostbite for those outside. Although we remain full in Sechelt we still have open beds in Gibsons and anyone who needs shelter or knows of someone that needs shelter are encouraged to come to the Gibsons shelter after 6pm. The Gibsons shelter is located at 599 Gower Point Road, Gibsons (G...ower Point and Dogwood). Anyone who needs to get warm tonight and throughout the night are encouraged to head to the Gibsons or Sechelt shelter’s for a warm space, a warm drink and supplies. Please share this post so that we can let as many folks as possible know there is shelter and somewhere warm to be tonight. Be safe community. - NG

***Thanks so much to our community members for sharing and liking our post to home this 82 year old lady and her cat! We got quite a few leads and we have secured this client a home for February 1st!!! "

The Gibsons Shelter would like to thank everyone for all their amazing generosity of homemade meals for our folks staying at the Gibsons Winter Response Shelter. I can't even describe to you all how much these yummy meals improve their quality of life and puts smiles on their faces! <3

Looking for empty boxes for a client's move coming up on Saturday. Any donations would be appreciated! Please email [email protected] or call/text 604-989-5179. -ST

RainCity Housing and the Sechelt Shelter are proud to once again partner with St Hilda’s by the Sea and their parishioners. Many of you will already know what a supporter St Hilda’s has been to our folks over the years and they continue to support the shelter and our work even though we are not operating on site. We continue to thank St Hilda’s, the Reverend Clarence Li and the parishioners for supporting the work of the shelter and helping us to continue to support our fol...ks. Tomorrow (Thursday 20th) St Hilda’s will be hosting their first Posada for the homeless and migrants. The Posada is an indoor/outdoor event re-enacting Mary and Joseph looking for a roof to labour their first child and being turned away. The event will involve meeting at the Sechelt Shelter at 3pm and walking together to St Hilda’s. The event will culminate with a potluck feast at St. Hilda's from 5 - 7 pm. We encourage people to dress up and meet at the shelter at 3pm to join this event and the procession to St Hilda’s, we welcome folks to wear dress up for this event. If you would like to donate food for this event you can drop food off at St Hilda’s from 5pm. If you would like to join this event then please come to the shelter in Sechelt at 5653 Wharf Ave at 3pm tomorrow. Again we would like to thank St Hilda’s and their parishioners for partnering with RainCity and this event. We are excited to be part of this event and we look forward to the procession tomorrow.

The team at RainCity are happy to announce that we will be opening the doors to the Gibsons shelter tonight at 6pm. The shelter is located at 599 Gower Point Road, Gibsons (lower Gibsons). The shelter will be open daily from 6pm 8am and we will be operating from Wednesday 12th December Sunday 31st March 2019. A hot meal will be provided at the shelter and folks will get an opportunity to connect with staff and the outreach worker who will be able to help folks get conne...cted to services. This year we have a dedicated Gibsons shelter phone line that will be staffed 24/7, if you have enquires about Gibsons Shelter or would like to reach the shelter we encourage you to call the shelter directly at 604-989-9314. We have created a take them a meal page for folks who are interested in donating to the Gibsons shelter. This was posted yesterday on our FB page and we encourage you to sign up if you’re interested in providing a meal at the shelter. If you’re interested in volunteering in other ways or making donations to the shelter please reach out to Robby Gillard, Assistant Manager at RainCity at 778-987-6092 and he will be able to assist you. This season Robby will again be responsible for the day to day operations of the Gibsons shelter in his role as Assistant Manager. As we continue to work from a harm reduction perspective and understand the benefits to all in the community of harm reduction we will be expanding our drug checking and naloxone training to the Gibsons shelter. If you would like to be trained to use naloxone or need your drugs checked then please swing by the shelter and speak with staff. Finally, we would like to take a moment to thank BC Housing, Town of Gibsons, the local MLA Nick Simmons, Sunshine Coast Homeless Advisory Committee, Christ the King Church and the shelter neighbours for supporting us in getting the doors open to the Gibsons shelter. We couldn’t provide this vital resource without the support of our community. Please get the word out to anyone seeking shelter that Gibsons is open tonight and every night until March 31st. Let’s work together to make a safer community for all. - NG