In the midst of a Saturday afternoon walk aimed at raising awareness of homelessness in the Estevan area and raising funds for the Warm Welcome Shelter that houses those without shelter, was the reminder that there would be people sleeping outside that night.
Just over two years after the Salvation Army and St. Paul's United Church decided there was something that could be done to shelter the homeless in the city, the issue has only grown. More people are finding themselves without sufficient shelter for at least a brief time in the Energy City, and the shelter housed 41 unique individuals during its open season last year, from December to March.
The shelter organization hosted a walk Sept. 13 that featured various areas of the city, outlining a narrative as to how people find themselves without a home. Ahead of the walk, Salvation Army lieutenant Brian Bobolo acknowledged with the shelter not opening until later in November, he was sure there would be people sleeping outside overnight.
"There are people every night of the year who struggle with shelter here in Estevan," said Bobolo. "There are some people who will live on the street tonight. They're living in our alleys or in our ravines or in their cars or makeshift shelters with tents. We've seen it all in our outreach."
He noted that there are always new people to town as well who have no idea where they will be spending their first night in a new place. That's why the walk started at the bus depot next to St. Paul's. About 18 people attended the walk to learn more about the shelter and the issue of homelessness.
Participants wore signs signifying some of the ways guests of the shelter have been marked by the community. One read "I just got kicked out of a restaurant," and another, "I don't know where I'll be sleeping tonight."
While leading the walk, St. Paul's Minister Brenna Nickel noted their guests are primarily men, though they have had a handful of women. She noted it's common to see young, working people staying at the shelter.
Stopping in the gymnasium of St. Paul's, where guests sleep during the shelter's opening period, beds were set up in a specific way to show how regular guests set up areas where they sleep. Nickel said because their guests have no other place to stay, the shelter is their home. Like any home, the guest settle into routines and have a very specific sense of space, sleeping in the same spot in the gymnasium every night.
"We're more than just providing a mattress to sleep on," said Bobolo. "We're trying to provide a place to belong. There's a real social need in the community as well that goes along with homelessness. If you have no place to belong and to call your own place, you tend to suffer in a lot of other areas of life, including that social connection, that stigma that you struggle with."
He said it's those other, more broad issues they also want to reach the community with in order to build a better understanding of life for those who are shelter insecure.
"We hear about all the stats, how many Canadians live between one or two paycheques of being on the street themselves, so this issue is close to home. You know, we as individuals may have never been on the street, but we are intimately aware of that tension that comes, that fear that comes of being really close to being without," Bobolo added, noting awareness and support has grown in the community.
That growing support is becoming more necessary as the number of guests climbed from the first to second year of the shelter. Because of that, Bobolo said they will be continuing to ask for community support, both financially and through volunteer time. The shelter requires a handful of volunteers each night of the week, including a pair for the overnight shift.
"Like we're trying to do today, is just spread the word, so when people are hearing stories about what we're doing, they can then maybe repeat it in their conversations, so we're all looking out for one another this coming winter."
Bobolo said people should remember that housing insecurity can happen to anyone and having a dependable home isn't necessarily something that is tied to a job.
"There's one issue or one event that separates people from the streets. It's a family breakdown or an economic issue that comes up all of a sudden. It's the unexpected. A lot of people are one unexpected event away from needing supports like those the Warm Welcome Shelter provides."
The awareness in the community is growing in the last couple of years since the shelter began, noted Bobolo.
"We look for opportunities to go out into the community and talk, and we've always been received well. People are really becoming aware of all the little subtleties of the issue," he noted.
"Everyone, of course, is aware the supply of affordable housing in the market is low, but in addition to that, it's all the different stories that factor into homelessness and what it's all about. It's not just about mental illness and addictions, though those are the two things that come to a lot of people's minds. It's a relationship breakdown. It's being unable to find a house to go along with a new job. It's about finding a hope and opportunity for people, and it's about building community."
Prior to the walk, the group held the Barbecue for Belonging at the Southern Plains Co-op, though due to weather, the barbecue was moved inside, and the lunch served was a taco in a bag. All the money raised through the barbecue went to the frontline services of the Warm Welcome Shelter.
"We really appreciate the support of the community at events like this throughout the year. This is the first time we've done this program for Warm Welcome, and it's going really well," added Bobolo, who said it may be something they will be doing again in the coming years.
