The United Way Perth-Huron and Salvation Army recently opened the HOPE Links connection center in Listowel, which provides basic needs and support to those experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable residents.
Homeless and other vulnerable people in Listowel now have better access to basic needs and support services following the recent opening of the Salvation Army and United Way Perth-Huron’s HOPE Links centre.
Similar in function to the Stratford Connection Center that opened at the end of last year, HOPE Links is intended to provide a safe place that connects people with allies and supports including access to basic needs like meals, showers and laundry facilities, as well as outreach workers from support-service providers in the community.
“About two years ago, there was lots of conversation in Listowel about the emergence of homelessness — the visible homelessness in the town — and our community committee identified it as an important issue,” United Way Perth-Huron executive director Ryan Erb said. “So we pulled together a little taskforce that included our friends from Salvation Army and other partners from the municipality and Stratford social services, and we began talking with members of the community about what we can do.”
These conversations, Erb continued, came at a time during the COVID-19 pandemic when municipalities were closing amenities like public washrooms that many people experiencing homelessness relied on, leading to the notion of establishing a center that could provide those and other basic needs daily while also connecting people with local support services.
Thanks to the generosity of community donors including a local family that donated space in a church they own at 295 Main St. W, that idea quickly began to take shape.
And like Choices for Change did in Stratford, the local Salvation Army stepped forward to handle the centre’s day-to-day operations.
“My hope is that connections established through HOPE Links will give us the opportunity to connect members of our community who need assistance with immediate needs and ongoing connection, allowing for growth and development in multiple areas of their lives,” said Salvation Army Major Wendy Johnstone in a United Way press release.
“We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this way,” added Salvation Army community and family services manager Gwyneth Woods. “The purpose of HOPE Links is to meet some of the most immediate needs for community members, while offering ourselves as allies for participants working towards their own self-determined goals. As a supported partner of (the local United Way), and with the incredible involvement of our community, we look forward to being a catalyst of hope.”
HOPE Links is part of a growing number of connection centers the United Way and its local partners have established across Huron and Perth counties, including those in Stratford and Exeter, as well as the Northern Huron Connection Center in Wingham, which is slated to open in the fall.
For HOPE Links’ daily operating hours, visit www.facebook.com/listowelfamilyservices.