New app looks to better deliver outreach services in Timmins
A new app is being piloted in the Timmins area, offering a way to help agencies better tackle homelessness, mental health and addiction issues on the region’s streets.
Officials involved with the Hummingbird App say it is creating a ‘buzz’ among outreach organizations in Timmins.
A new app called the Hummingbird App is being piloted in the Timmins area. It offers ways to help agencies better tackle homelessness, mental health and addiction issues in the region. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News Northern Ontario)The app is a collaboration between the local agency DIY Community Health Timmins and Vancouver-based tech firm Sponge Design.
Officials with DIY Community Health told CTV News that they are hoping the app with become the go-to solution for many concerns in the area – the idea is to allow people to request help from local agencies in real-time for a variety of safety or cleanliness issues.
Officials involved with the project are telling the public to think of it as “Uber for outreach.”
“It could be for a business owner, who’s dealing with some issues in the downtown core. It could be for a member of the public, who’s out for a walk and they see something that requires attention. It could be for somebody who has a family member or a friend, who’s in distress and they want support for them,” said Jason Sereda, one of the founders of DIY Health Timmins.
“It could also be for a person who’s looking for a bit of extra help, doesn’t know where to turn.”
The app’s developer said they wanted to pilot the project in a community like Timmins – a community that is small in size but with issues that need strong coordination to solve.
The Hummingbird app will allow agencies in the area to opt-in to monitor for requests for services they offer then respond and report back once the immediate issue is resolved.
Renee Yu is the co-founders of Sponge Design and a developer involved in the Hummingbird App being piloted in Timmins, Ont. (LinkedIn/Sponge Design)“We really hope that, through this experience, we can train more active bystanders, who will be willing to use this app to really help anyone they see on the street, who’s going through a crisis,” said Renee Yu, one of the co-founders of Sponge Design and a developer involved in the Hummingbird App.
Outreach officials that have been testing the app told CTV News that with the correct opt-in it would be a better way to deploy resources and work with the community.
“People are asking for help, they’re asking for different community organizations to step up,” said Sereda.
The Hummingbird App is currently in the development phase and is a collaboration between the DIY Community Health Timmins and Vancouver-based Sponge Design.(Sergio Arangio/CTV News Northern Ontario)
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
The app is still in the development stage and the next week will be spent introducing it to agencies, business owners and community members in the Timmins area to collect feedback.
Officials with the project said they plan to launch the app in Timmins sometime in April, see how it performs and make improvements as needed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.