Halifax support organizations face surging demand as winter nears

Support organizations across Halifax are seeing an unprecedented demand for resources this winter, with some already stretched to capacity as the season approaches.

Brunswick Street Mission, a non-profit providing essential items to those in need, is down to two racks of winter jackets – barely enough to meet demand ahead of the season according to its program coordinator, Jaydean Jackson.

“It’s unbearable, people are grabbing the jackets off the hangers like there’s no tomorrow and asking us everyday more jackets,” she said.

Brunswick Street Mission is asking people to donate lightly-used or new winter gear so they do not run out like they did last year.

“The winter stuff is always on high demand and it’s hard to come by, I mean jackets are expensive,” said Jackson.

Jackson said it is not just winter clothes in short supply, there are days the organization’s food bank has empty shelves.

“By Thursday we barely have anything on the shelves. We have a lot of people coming in the week to pick up grocery items.”

At Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, costs for meals and other necessities have risen especially since it expanded its reach to other parts of the province.

“We have definitely seen an increase in our budget at Souls Harbour because of the increase in need for our guests and our residents,” said Michelle Porter, founder of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

“Now it’s not just who comes through these doors here or around the province at our drop-in centres, but it’s people living rough [and] people in encampments and we’re able to go and meet their needs.”

Meanwhile, Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank has seen its holiday initiatives reach capacity, with lengthy waitlists already forming as families look for support.

“We opened our Christmas program on October 6 and before the end of October we had to close it. We are recommending people go to other resources,” said Josie Young, food program manager at Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank.

For many organizations in Halifax, another challenge they face during upcoming season is Feed Nova Scotia, a major partner during the holidays, will not be providing the same level of seasonable support this year. Instead, the organization is identifying gaps in assistance in other parts of the province.

“We realized it wasn’t the most impactful or equitable way to serve the community. It was mostly serving the HRM, but we really wanted to recognize that we have a provincial mandate. There are communities beyond HRM that are food insecure,” said Ashely Avery, executive director of Feed Nova Scotia.

Instead of participating in holiday initiatives, Feed Nova Scotia gave money to organizations this year. “We distributed over a million dollars through the holiday fund to 140 meal program shelters and food banks across the province,” said Avery.

However, for Parker Street, its Christmas Hamper program has an annual goal of providing 1,000 hampers to families and is able to achieve it because Feed Nova Scotia provides support for 200 of the hampers.

Since the Food Bank will not be participating, Parker Street will have to find $20,000 in their budget to pay for it. The organization is appealing to the public and is accepting donations from the community for holiday meals to give out to families in order to meet their goal this year.

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