About 15 per cent of men pay for sex, according to statistics compiled by Melissa Farley at the Prostitution Research and Education website.

The majority of these men are 24 to 27 years old, fathers and college-educated men.

Statistics like this are one reason why the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination established a justice initiative known as Defend Dignity to address the issue of prostitution and lobby for its abolition in Canada.

“We call ourselves an abolitionist organization,” Rev. Tyrone McKenzie, pastor of Lawson Heights Alliance Church, says. “Our aim is to get a groundswell of support for the issue by making connections with churches, women’s and faith-based groups, and non-governmental organizations.”

Defend Dignity came out of the work Regina-born Glendyne Gerrard was doing in C&MA women’s ministry and her personal experiences connecting with poor and oppressed women. Gerrard is now Defend Dignity’s director.

“She kept coming in contact with women affected by prostitution,” McKenzie says, “and as that contact grew, Defend Dignity became an organization of its own.”

Defend Dignity focuses on advocacy at the local and national level. The group works to connect locally with informational forums in churches across the country, and federally with members of Parliament. The organization has strong ties with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which does most of the work at the federal level.

EFC’s political analyst Julia Beazley will be in Saskatoon to speak at a Defend Dignity forum being held on Sunday at Circle Drive Alliance Church, beginning at 6 p.m.

Amanda Stephenson, one of the event organizers, says the forum is travelling to a dozen cities across Canada. In Saskatchewan, Defend Dignity will hold events in Regina, Prince Albert and Saskatoon.

A group of experts will speak on the topic of prostitution in Canada. One of the speakers is Beatrice Littlechief, a former prostitute who is now an emergency services manager at Soul’s Harbour, a rescue mission in Regina. Other speakers include a police officer from Calgary, a political analyst, a representative from the Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women organization, and Jordon Cooper from The Lighthouse in Saskatoon.

A number of civic, provincial and federal politicians will also be in attendance to hear what the general public has to say on the issue.

“The purpose of the event is to get information out there,” Stephenson says. “People attending can participate by texting their questions throughout the event and having them answered by the panel.”

Stephenson says there will be a networking component to the evening, as “10 different local organizations, including The Lighthouse, The Bridge, Salvation Army and John School (which rehabilitates johns) will be on site with information booths.”

McKenzie says the biggest reason he is involved in Defend Dignity is because it is evident in scripture that Jesus cared for women who were affected by prostitution and sexual exploitation.

“As a follower of Christ, I, too, need to have compassion and advocate for victims of violence and prostitution,” he says. “The second reason is that there is a real need for men in our congregations to come to grips with the issue of pornography, which drives the whole prostitution industry. I find the statistics on pornography to be shocking.

“If I could do one day over again, it would be the day nude pictures flashed around playground in Grade 5. For many men, that was their first exposure to pornography, and in one way or another, they were affected. I believe no matter where we’ve encountered pornography, we can address the topic and take steps toward personal healing and wholeness. In our congregation, we’re trying to provide a solution for our men by getting them involved in the Harbour of Hope at The Lighthouse doing handyman renovations.”

One member of Parliament told the group if 50 MPs received 60 letters a month on a particular issue, and seven to 10 personal visits, that could be enough impetus for the government to put the issue at the top of its agenda. The event will provide an opportunity to write letters on the subject of prostitution to MPs, the prime minister and the minister of justice.

Stephenson says Sunday’s forum is free and open to everyone.

“We’re encouraging youth and young adults to make it a priority,” she says. “I grew up in Saskatoon and lived a very sheltered life. I didn’t know the realities of trafficking and prostitution until a couple of years ago.

“So many people, especially in the church, don’t want to admit it exists. But it does. This event is purely educational, to let people know what’s happening in our city.”

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

Each new tenant gets a copy of the guide when they move in but it’s now it is accessible anytime from anywhere, even on mobile devices.  

It’s part of our ongoing efforts to be as transparent as we can as an organization with funders, donors, other agencies, and especially our own tenants.

By the time the conversation was over he had a smile on his face and established goals, more than just moving out of the shelter but also to ensure he would not have to stay there again.

In response to concerns raised about people being left outside when they can’t or won’t obtain funding to stay at a shelter, are banned from a shelter, or prefer to live off the grid, The Lighthouse has opened it’s Out of the Cold Shelter.  

The Out of the Cold Shelter is open to

• men
• women
• couples
• youth (16 and older – for those younger there is a separate system that is equipped to help them)
• pets (kennels provided)

The OTCS will have its own space for unique situations but most people will be housed in a variety of other shelter spaces at The Lighthouse.

At present The Lighthouse houses in emergency shelters both men and women.

Support is provided by well trained staff during the night which are there to provide emergency services, housing supports, and make sure the resident has the essentials like hygiene products, warm clothing, and nutritious food.

The next morning support staff work with the resident to figure out their housing options so that no one will have to spent another night in the cold.

An important part of what we do is provide safe transportation from where they are at to where they need to be. People reach out to us from all the city and as the city grows and the weather drops, those distances are further and further away. In extreme temperatures the danger is that people won’t come in because of the distance needed to travel. To overcome this The Lighthouse is working with churches, agencies, and others to pick up people when needed and transport themselves, their belongings and any others that are with them to safety.

If you have any questions about the Out of the Cold Shelter, please contact Chris Powell at The Lighthouse or at chris.powell@lighthousesaskatoon.org.

Home for the Holidays

• The Lighthouse Supported Living needs your help in helping someone celebrate their first Christmas in a home of their own.  We are looking for partners to help us provide a Christmas they will never forget as they enjoy their first Christmas in their new home.
• A donation of $50 allows staff to hand-select a Christmas gift for a resident of our supported living units.  It also includes a Christmas card and note, expressing encouragement and holiday wishes for the recipient.  Each year staff talk to each one of our residents asking them what they would like for Christmas.  It’s often the first time any of them have ever had a Christmas wish answered.  Partnering with us for this program not only allows us to meet their needs but it often provides a much needed item in their life.

The men and women who stay in The Lighthouse’s Emergency Shelters take very little for granted. One of the best gifts they can receive this holiday season is also one of the most practical. Gift-filled backpacks provide encouragement and assistance during the time of year when our residents need it the most. Purchase a backpack and fill is with some of these basic personal items:

• Bar of soap, in container
• Travel-size shampoo and conditioner
• Hairbrush or comb
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Nail clippers
• Lip balm
• Travel-size lotion
• Kleenex
• Band Aids
• Pen & notepad
• Transit passes* (10 Ride Transit Go-Card is greatly appreciated)
• Razors
• Men’s gloves
• Gift Cards for coffee, movies or food*
• Christmas card or personal note of encouragement

*Please note that transit passes and gift cards may be removed and redistributed to ensure that all Christmas gifts are as equitable as possible.
** Please do not include food items or any items containing an alcohol base, such as mouthwash or perfume.

Please drop off all Christmas donations at:
The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc.
304 2nd Avenue South

Find out more:
To find out more about our Christmas opportunities and how you can get involved at The Lighthouse this Christmas, contact us at: phone: 306.653.0538 or email: hello@lighthousesaskatoon.org 

This holiday season, we invite you to touch a life in need…and bring joy to friends and family.

The Lighthouse would like to say thank you to the Home Depot Foundation for their generous support to give facelifts to 10 different rooms at The Lighthouse’s Supported Living Tower.  Each room will get paint, window treatments, new shower curtain (the kind that curve outward) and other cosmetic changes that will brighten up, refresh, and most importantly improve residents rooms.

When some of the rooms were painted back when our building was the Capri Hotel, they were painted navajo white which was designed to hide finger prints and dirt but in the end made the rooms dark and dreary.  When painted the difference is immediately noticeable and the change for our residents is huge.  It goes a long ways to making our rooms feel much more like home.

We want to thanks the Home Depot Foundation for their support of these efforts in improving the quality of life of Saskatoon most vulnerable.

This report summarizes what we know about the cost of addressing homelessness by looking at key literature from Canada and the United States. What becomes clear is that the status quo is actually really expensive. It may seem counter intuitive to suggest that it is cheaper and more cost effective to provide people who experience homelessness with the housing and supports they need, rather than simply provide them with emergency supports through shelters and soup kitchens. However, the research reviewed here indicates that this is actually the case. The best social and economic policies should be based on research and evidence, and in this case, the evidence points to the fact that if we do things differently, we not only achieve better social outcomes, but we also save money.

Photo Credit: Krystian Olszanski

Minister June Draude, Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation spoke first. The SHC contributed approximately $12.9 million toward the total project cost of more than $17 million, with the balance provided by the Lighthouse and the City of Saskatoon.

City of Saskatoon’s Mayor Don Atchison spoke on behalf of the city.

Many people from other community service agencies that help us support our clients also attended.

Our Executive Director Don Windels thanked our partners for their support.

Reverend Brad Mayer blessed the new building.

The Minister, Mayor, our ED, Norm and Melba (long-time supporters), and Pierre Trudel, President of our board cutting the ribbon!

An apartment tower in Saskatoon that will give people a new, affordable place to call home has officially opened.

The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc. tower project is an eight storey apartment building with 58 units that will house almost 70 people.

One of those people is John, who has been homeless since he moved to Saskatoon from Montreal in May.

“Most people don’t realize that when you’re homeless, the worst thing is the fear. You’re scared. You don’t have a base of operations. You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

As John looked around the one-bedroom apartment, he smiled describing how much he loves the view of downtown Saskatoon, the little kitchen and the solid handrails in the bathroom.

Those handrails are important for John who has had three strokes in the past year and uses a cane.

He said even though he lives independently, with this tower attached to the Lighthouse, he has support and help if he needs it.

“The fact that we’re going to have a nurse downstairs just in case is like a safety net for a trapeze artist, it’s there if you need it.”

John is also in the process of looking for a job. It’s the reason why he didn’t want to use his last name — he worries future employers might not take him if they knew he had been homeless.

The tower project will be filling all the suites with a variety of people including the working poor, recovering addicts, those with mental or physical disabilities and students.

Don Windels, executive director of the Lighthouse, said one of the two-bedroom suites is home to a family who was living in a campground in Saskatoon.

“They were literally camping. They couldn’t find a place. They were having a hard time getting that first month and security deposit and so our staff worked it out with them that they could move in here temporarily until they could find a place.”

Windels said housing is an important need that once addressed people can focus on larger issues in their lives.

“We strongly believe in housing first where you get someone a house and then they don’t have to think about where am I going to stay,” he said.

“We see a drastic change when (people) first come to us and they’ve been able to eat three square meals a day. They’ve been able to not worry about where they’re sleeping and physically they get a lot better and once you get physically strong, you can think better.”

The tower project cost more than $17 million provided by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, the City of Saskatoon and the Lighthouse.

With the new affordable living apartments open at The Lighthouse, we have had people move in with little or no furniture. If you have any of the following items that are you looking to upgrade or get rid of;

• Single beds
• Arm chairs
• Sofas
• Small dining tables
• Lamps

Please consider dropping them off The Lighthouse anytime during the day or night. While we don’t have the capacity to pick up donation, anything dropped off that you would find useful will be used to help residents that have moved in with very little.

Anything that you can give to help others put together a home is appreciated.

On September 1st, 30 suites were available at The Lighthouse’s affordable housing apartments were available for occupancy and people moved in.  While the entire building won’t be finished until October 1st, it was a big day in both the east and the Empire Hotel Tower.  We had 8 people move from our supported living suites which meant that 8 people from the shelter were able to move to their own homes that day as well.  In all, the project will enable over 30 people who were homeless, living in shelters or on the streets to have a place to call home.  

Thank you to our partners in this project, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, and the City of Saskatoon for making this day happen.

To deal with this increased demand, The Lighthouse has added extra cots and mats to ensure that no one is turned away.  We have also added addition staff to assist clients and we monitor the situation each afternoon and take immediate steps to make sure that no one is out on the streets.  With the opening of the new affordable housing apartments, several residents from our supportive living suites are making the move to full independent living.  While that is a significant achievement all by itself, it does allow us to open up more suites for those in our shelters which will open up 12 more beds.  Also, some from our shelter residents are moving to the new tower as well which will free up even more beds starting on Saturday.  We are excited for all of them as they get their own place to call home but we also are happy that it means that we can help more people.

While it is too soon to tell if this is a cyclical increase or part of a long term increase in the numbers of homeless on Saskatoon streets, we are taking the following steps to ensure that we can meet the increased demand.

• We are purchasing additional permanent beds for our men’s shelter.  We hope to add 8 more beds in the next couple of weeks.
• We will be adding more beds to the women’s shelter.
• We are adapting to the changing demographic and needs of our shelters with programming, case management, and addition supports designed to help clients find employment and housing outside of The Lighthouse.  Our own informal survey is that there are places to rent in Saskatoon that are affordable but people need the supports to find them.  We are reallocating even more resources to provide those supports.

It’s a big challenge but we are thrilled to see how staff, donors, and volunteers have stepped up to the plate and made a significant difference in the lives of those in our shelters.  If you are interesting in partnering with us in tackling this challenge, contact DeeAnn Mercier at 664.4663 or via email at deeann.mercier@lighthousesaskatoon.org.

When I bought this camera it was the state of the art.  Here is what CNet said about it back in 2005.

Like the rest of the Z-series family, the Konica Minolta Dimage Z10 looks like it was stolen from an “amazing world of the future” exhibit at a 1950s science fair. You either like its looks or you don’t, but its shape, though not compact, turns out to be functional, allowing a comfortable and secure grip. The plastic two-tone grey and silver body, while far from luxurious, feels reasonably well built for the Z10′s price level. The camera weighs 368 grams with batteries and media installed, which is light for a megazoom–the wonder of plastic, as they might have said at that science fair.

Look at these specs

• Megapixels : 3 megapixels
• LCD display size : 1.5 inch
• Optical zoom : 8 x

Like most technology, what was amazing 7 years ago, hasn’t aged well.  While I took over 14,000 photos with it before handing it down to my son and now he wants something better and it is sitting in a closet like a lot of old technology.  What The Lighthouse would love is if you could take a look in your closet of obsolete technology and do a little house cleaning and bring it down to The Lighthouse.

We are looking for digital cameras and digital camcorders that you don’t need anymore after upgrading so we can use it in our computer lab and art classes.  We are also looking for digital video cameras that you may not be using either, whether they be 640×480 or widescreen HD.

I am going to donate the above mentioned camera and a Canon digital video camera.  If you want to help match me, drop off your donation anytime at our front desk.  We will make sure your old digital cameras sees some creative uses.

We are rolling out HIFIS at The Lighthouse.  HIFIS is short for the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System and is a Government of Canada database designed to help us understand our population better.  It tracks how long individuals are here but more importantly allows us to keep track of where they are going (to an apartment, another shelter, or in some cases to the streets).  While any software that is designed by the Government of Canada is going to be a little clunky, it’s easy enough for any of our staff to use and input information to.

While The Lighthouse is actually one facility, it is several different programs/shelters

1. Men’s Emergency Shelter
2. Men’s Overflow Mat Program
3. Women’s Emergency Shelter
4. Women’s Emergency Respite Room (for women suffering from illness or victims of domestic violence)
5. Complex Needs Wing
6. Complex Needs Respite Room
7. Supported Living Suites
8. Affordable Housing Apartments

All of those areas are tracked independently to ensure that we can understand what is going on internally but also so our funding agencies and other partners can see what is happening across the shelter.

The information in it is anonymously shared with some outside reporting agencies but we give that information in PDF format which means that we can be sure that no identifying information is ever released.  While the software is really useful internally, it also contributes to solving homelessness across the country by providing the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada with reliable and quality statistical analysis of what is happening at The Lighthouse.

This is the second time Donna has stayed at the Lighthouse since I started working here one year ago. The first time she stayed in the shelter she was often under the influence which resulted in her not being able to stay with us.

Donna has since cleaned up and is moving on to the next steps in her life. She is a very caring mother and new grandmother and is trying to be a better role model.

Donna states that she wishes there was a limited for how many women can stay in the shelter. There is a limit – 25 women – but this August is the first time we have gotten close to being that full, so it feels very different than it has in the past. It is a dormitory-style room, so that’s a lot of different personalities sleeping in a room together.

The Lighthouse is actually one of three women’s shelters in the city, including the YWCA and Mumford House.  I know they are very full as well.

Why are the shelters so full these days? Before I started working here I would have assumed that emergency shelter’s empty out in summer time. That has not been the case this summer at all, as we have had higher numbers since June. People need to stay here for many different reasons, so as of yet we have no way to pinpoint exactly why we have a higher volume of clients. I know the vacancy rate is very low in Saskatoon and this may account for some of the pressure of shelters. Jordon, our General Manager, wrote more about this in a previous post.

Please consider donating to a community organization that helps women in need in Saskatoon. We always appreciate shampoo, conditioner, soap, feminine hygiene products, new underwear and socks. If you would like to volunteer at the Lighthouse, you can fill out an application here.

Thanks for sharing, Donna.

Curtis Daniels stands at the edge of the Kinsmen Park playground, watching as his five-year-old daughter Tayci plays on the swing set. Like most of the other kids in the park on this sunny Saturday afternoon, Tayci is laughing and smiling.

The only real difference is she and her father are homeless.

“She’s five so she doesn’t know how bad it is. But she has nowhere to live,” Daniels said.

Daniels and his daughter have been without a home since last January, when Daniels left his apartment after a disagreement with his landlord. He makes sure his daughter always has a place to sleep – whether with family members or with her mother back on a reserve near Duck Lake.

But there are nights when Daniels sleeps in his car or in a tent.

He said he has done his best to protect his daughter from the realities of not having a permanent home.

“She’s in good hands for sure. I feed her every day. She’s happy. At her age right now I’m glad she doesn’t fully realize the predicament we are in,” he said.

Daniels has been working since May for the City of Saskatoon at the Woodlawn Cemetery, trying to save money to start renting a place. It’s only seasonal work and he will have to start looking for a new job in October.

Tayci will start kindergarten at Bishop Roborecki in September. But for now, without qualifying for social assistance, they are in limbo, unsure of what will happen next.

In Saskatoon, there are shelters – like the Crisis Shelter at the YMCA and Mumford House – that specialize in helping single mothers and their children get back on their feet. Currently, there are no emergency shelters that focus on single fathers and their children. Daniels cannot stay at places such as the Salvation Army men’s shelter without leaving his daughter behind.

“I’ve just been applying all over the city for residence. The references aren’t panning out, or the rent is too high or the damage deposit is too high,” Daniels said. “It’s a serious problem. I don’t know if people see or realize it. But there are other single fathers in my situation.”

Because of privacy concerns, Social Services is unable to comment on specific cases, but an official said there should be help for people like Daniels.

“For specifically single fathers, I’m not aware of (a shelter) that addresses that specifically in Saskatoon,” said Jeff Redekop, executive director of income assistance service delivery with Social Services. “I can tell you that there are quite a few programs out there for people who require help in meeting their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter.”

Staff at The Lighthouse recently took Mental Health First Aid which is offered by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.  The class has been described as this.

One in three Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life. The earlier a problem is detected and treated, the better the outcome. Mental Health First Aid Canada gives people the skills to provide that early help that is so important in recovery.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved.

The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy, and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague.

The program does not teach people how to be therapists. It does teach people how to:

• Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems.
• Provide initial help.
• Guide a person towards appropriate professional help.

MHFA shares the same overall purpose as traditional first aid – to save lives. It aims to:

• Preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others.
• Provide help to prevent the mental health problem from developing into a more serious state.
• Promote the recovery of good mental health.
• Provide comfort to a person experiencing a mental health problem.

Thanks to the Canadian Mental Health Commission and the Saskatoon Health Region for facilitating and holding the course.  It gave new skills to staff who find themselves working with residents and clients struggling with mental health issues daily.

For the first time since we opened our men’s emergency shelter and women’s emergency shelter, the Lighthouse was at capacity this last weekend.  With 25 women in the women’s shelter and 16 men in the men’s shelter (plus another 12 men in overflow) we saw our highest numbers ever.

When we get this full, everyone wants to ask if this is a sign that homelessness has gotten worse in the city or if it is a random spike.  It’s too early to tell.  We have had increases before where the numbers returned to normal but as we learned in 2008, the increase can often be permanent.

To help cope, The Lighthouse is purchasing new cots to increase our temporary capacity.  If needed, we will configure shelter arrangements to add more permanent beds.

With the new affordable living apartments opening on September 1st, twelve supported living suites opened up which will open up capacity for both our shelters as people move to permanent housing.

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour Saskatoon’s Lighthouse Supported Living Centre, in the heart of our downtown on the corner of 20th Street and Second Avenue. You know the one — the place a whole bunch of people wish didn’t exist.

After my tour, walking down the cracked steps and back into the sunlight, two distinct feelings washed over me: Hope and Hopelessness.

Let’s start with Hopelessness because it’s the more logical feeling when exiting a facility filled with our community’s most vulnerable citizens. Addictions, lifetimes of abuse and exploitation, chronic homelessness, mental illness, disease and plain old-fashioned bad luck tend to plague those who call the Lighthouse home. Yes, these are often the same people bothering you for change downtown, drifting up and down Second Avenue.

The Lighthouse, formerly the Capri Hotel, is not a glamorous place. In various stages of renovation and disrepair, projects move slowly, teasing staff and clients alike with their potential as grant funds trickle in at a glacier’s pace. The men and women’s emergency overnight shelters, housed in what appears to be the hotel pool’s locker rooms, are lined with neatly made beds. General manager Jordon Cooper, a man who has devoted his life to the lives of others, shares the story of one woman using the sparse shelter for herself and her two daughters — it’s the only thing holding her family together.

Rental income from a full slate of tenants keeps the Lighthouse’s operating costs afloat. Everyone has a roof over their head, which is the main priority, but the old hotel hallways are dank, yellowed and depressing. Layers of rotten carpet shift spongy under your feet, while the occasional tenant slips ghostlike out of their tiny apartment, heading downstairs for a smoke and a reprieve from their four walls.

The lobby is a hub of organized chaos. The old Capri bar sits adjacent to the counter, still authentic with its original wood panelling and retro stippled ceiling. A few couches scatter the room, where clients sleeping curled around backpacks with their backs to the world. A female tenant sits on an old chair next to the doors, eagerly watching the vending machine being replenished. She complains when she hears there won’t be sandwiches for lunch, but brightens at the prospect of lasagna for supper. A stocky man, with wild hair and a face both blank and furious, asks the busy receptionist for a glass of water so he can take his pill. Clients drift in and out of stairwells and the rather precarious looking elevator, busy going nowhere.

It was a tiny snapshot of what’s going on in that building across from the theatre. Now let’s get to the Hope, shall we?

Hope springs at the Lighthouse, driven by a small but tight team of people, including Jordon and communications director DeeAnn Mercier, who guided me through the tour. At any given moment, you’ll find DeeAnn, Jordon and the team switching hats seamlessly from counsellor, educator, to punching bag, advocate, landlord, to first responder, to savior. They make hundreds of decisions per day. Decisions that radically impact the lives of their clients, yet they manage to radiate stoicism and compassion.

Pockets of newness, such as the recently opened floor for Saskatoon Health Region patients suffering from mental illness, reflect the promise of Hope for the entire facility. The brand new residential tower stands bright and tall next to the grimy exterior of the old hotel. Above all, there are plans — so many plans — for programming and facilities to make the lives of Lighthouse residents better. From indoor gardens to detox centres, DeeAnn and Jordon refuse to see any space as anything other than a place for great things to come.

An occasional story floats to the surface of a resident who overcame impossible odds. It’s these stories that help keep Lighthouse staff going forward — and must keep the Lighthouse doing the same.

Lukas makes his rounds as a caseworker, delivering meds, gifts and good cheer to participants while exposing the dark history behind the addiction issues that plague Winnipeg’s Aboriginal homeless population. This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s At Home pilot project.

New pairs of men’s underwear and socks are in high demand at the Lighthouse Supported Living.

“It’s been a very busy summer around here. Our shelters have been very full,” said DeeAnn Mercier, spokeswoman for the shelter.

Mercier said the Lighthouse, which provides shelter and long term supported living for people with mental health issues, regularly receives donations of used clothing. But because undergarments, socks and other hygiene products are not accepted if they are used, there is a shortage.

“In summer (people using the shelter) travel light, they don’t have as many things with them. We see a lot of transient people in the summer months,” Mercier said.

“When it’s wet – like it’s been here lately – dry socks are really important. Wet socks can cause all kinds of foot problems.”

Mercier said the Lighthouse doesn’t have a target in mind, but she would like to see at least 100 pairs of each – socks and underwear – donated. She also encouraged people to donate these kinds of items to other shelters throughout the city.

“The need doesn’t stop in summer. Just because the weather is nice maybe people aren’t aware that there are people in need, but the need doesn’t stop,” she said.

And of course the obligatory behind the scenes shot.