Thunder Bay's Shelter House gets funding to run until Dec. 1

Shelter House in Thunder Bay has received enough money to continue its street outreach program until Dec. 1.

The program takes homeless, intoxicated, and other at-risk people off the streets, and transports them to necessary services, like the hospital, detox or the shelter.

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Shelter House director of operations Doug Forbes said the program, which started out as a way to get at-risk people off the streets during the winter months, will now run all summer.

"We're helping people in need. We're creating efficiencies in the system that weren't otherwise there," he said.

"Our daily routine looks like visiting — like responding to calls first and foremost and then visiting known spots that are populated by un-housed people."

Forbes said funding for the $216,000-a-year program comes from the city of Thunder Bay and the District Social Services Board.

Continuing the program not only helps the at-risk people it serves, but also the community at large, Forbes said.

"We're dealing with public intoxication calls through a social lens, versus a criminal lens. We feel like those calls — as the weather warms up and more people are outside — are going to increase."

The program takes calls from individuals, businesses, emergency service providers and other agencies. The calls can be made by anyone wanting to help people get to a safer, warmer location.

Shelter House officials said the program frees up other emergency services, like police, fire and EMS, so they don't have to take as many non-emergency calls.

The service runs from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.

Shelter House reported that since December 2014, there have been more than 1,400 people transported, averaging 130 transports per week.