A local outreach organization marked five years of service with an open house this week.
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Reach Out Chatham-Kent also celebrated one year at its 39 Richmond St. location in Chatham.
The organization offers the homeless and addicted with support, services and meals.
The location also is a safe space for those in need to connect with staff, volunteers and peers.
“The people we work with. . . they have had a lot of doors closed behind them. But we’re always an open door,” executive director Renee Geniole said.
“It gives them somewhere safe to go. It gives them somewhere to meet their basic needs. And to be around other community members that care about them.”
The location is “just close enough to downtown,” which is helpful logistically, she said.
“We were just doing outreach, but now we’re have two centers, here and in Wallaceburg,” she said. “Now, we have a lot more community partners, we have some municipal contracts.
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“Then we got a big federal grant through Health Canada to spread our harm reduction into more of the smaller communities in Chatham-Kent.”
Wednesday’s event featured dinner, tours and music by DJ Courtney Wells.
Margery Muharrem, peer co-ordinator, said about 150 people drop in each week.
The support team has six members, with about a dozen peers who have lived experiences of homelessness or addictions.
“To me, it’s incredibly eye-opening and incredibly humbling,” Muharrem said. “It’s their knowledge that really helps frame what we do. . . The old saying, meet them where they’re at. How can we help you? What support do you need?”
For more information on ROCK, or to help, visit reachoutck.com.
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