As downtown tent city grows, funding extends hours at Sudbury drop-in centre
With many services only online during in the pandemic, many vulnerable people have difficulty reaching the services they need.
Recently, one non-profit that helps the vulnerable population in Sudbury received funding from the city to extend its hours to help people connect and get out of the elements.
CTV talked to a couple who live in Memorial Park encampment and they said it’s tough going as the weather gets colder.
“It’s cold and it’s lonely and sometimes it’s overwhelming,” said Henrietta Bebonang, who is living in the park with her boyfriend.
They stay in a tent and have lived here for the past month and a half.
“You might as well be on house arrest if you can’t leave your own damn tent. You know you can’t own nothing nice 'cause you don’t got your own place,” said Jason Proctor.
“I feel totally insecure all the time. I gotta' sleep with a knife under my pillow because losers will come in here and steal from you and pick pocket you while you are sleeping.”
The couple said they use the drop-in Centre at the Samaritan Centre to use the telephone and computer to connect with people and resources.
“I have fantastic staff that act as client navigators,” said Lisa Long, executive director of The Samaritan Centre.
"So if someone comes in and they don’t know about services that are happening here in Greater Sudbury, we can refer them to a place, we can point them in the direction that they need. We are constantly seeing new people."
The drop-in centre confirmed it has received $37,000 from the city to extend its hours to better serve the vulnerable population.
“In the last 18-plus months as a society, as a culture, we have become disconnected from each other, and so we are all about connecting,” said Long.
In late October, the city conducted a count of the homeless population in Sudbury and says results will be released in early December.
The city says the information helps with funding allocations.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.