As downtown tent city grows, funding extends hours at Sudbury drop-in centre

Sudbury -

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.