We are thrilled to announce that we have hired Colleen Moyneur as the new Laundry Love Coordinator! We are also very grateful to Setit Coin Laundry & Dry Cleaners for agreeing to host our Laundry Love events. The program will be back in the community once a month starting in April.
If you would like to contact Colleen they can be reached at: laundrylovenewwest@gmail.com.
The Homeless Count identifies people experiencing homelessness and engages them in a brief anonymous survey. The data collected is shared with government agencies, service providers, community groups, and funding organizations, for the purposes of developing programs that address homelessness. It’s also used as a measurement tool for tracking the rate of homelessness and the success of these programs.
Who is conducting the 2023 Homeless Count?
The 2023 Homeless Count in Metro Vancouver is an initiative of the Reaching Home Community Entity; Lu’ma Native Housing Society, and Community Advisory Board (CAB). The Homeless Count is delivered in partnership with the Indigenous Reaching Home Community Entity, the Indigenous Homelessness Steering Committee, the Council of Community Homelessness Tables, and Homelessness Services Association of BC. The New Westminster count is also delivered in partnership with the City of New Westminster and the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society.
How can you get involved?
Qualified volunteers are needed to help conduct the surveys. The street survey typically involves walking, biking or driving around a neighbourhood looking for individuals to survey. The shelter survey is conducted in various shelters across the region. Shifts range from two to seven hours, and volunteers work in teams of two. All volunteers will need to attend a training session on Monday Feb. 27, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Holy Trinity Cathedral. For a list of qualifications and the application form, visit the 2023 Homeless Count website.
Persons with lived experience of poverty and/or homelessness may apply for one of nine paid positions, at a rate of $35/hour.
Have questions?
For more information, contact Mariam Larson, Local Coordinator, 2023 Homeless Count: 604.515.1718 or NWCount2023@hsa-bc.ca
| The Lower Mainland Purpose Society is pleased to announce the launch of the Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) in the City of New Westminster. PACT is a mobile, community-led team that offers support to individuals experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis. PACT is an alternative or auxiliary response to police intervention, providing crisis support that focuses on prevention, health and well-being. Our mobile team, comprised of a Mental Health Worker and a Peer Support Worker (someone with lived or living experience), will attend to crisis calls during scheduled service hours. This type of community initiative looks to respond to the needs of individuals most impacted by mental health and substance use, especially those who are marginalized and/or at higher risk of experiencing distress or criminalization from police contact. How we can help: – Offer support to an individual or their loved one over the phone or in-person – Provide crisis counselling and de-escalation – Facilitate connections to the appropriate resources, services and supports in the community to meet an individual’s underlying needs – Provide advocacy and accompaniment to emergency departments, police stations, or community organizations – Provide short-term follow-up care after a crisis event PACT services are available to callers aged 13+ and adults living in the city of New Westminster. Hours of operation: 12:00pm – 8:00pm, 7 days/week Contact number: 778.727.3909 For any additional questions regarding PACT, please contact: Nicole Sto Tomas, PACT Program Coordinator/Case Manager at nicole.stotomas@purposesociety.org  |