**LIVING SPACE NEWS RELEASE**

Living Space has expanded the operating hours for the afternoon drop-in program at the 27 Cedar Street North Shelter. Beginning in December, the shelter will be open Monday to Friday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM to offer enhanced services. This expansion is part of a larger strategy aimed at providing 24/7 service to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Participating community agencies will be at the drop-in program on a rotating basis, with each day of the week offering different services. “We’re trying to meet people where they are, and we know that a No Wrong Door approach to service provision works the best,” said Brian Marks, Chair of the Living Space Board of Directors.

“We’re seeing 10-40 people at the drop-in program each day,” said Jason Sereda, coordinator at Living Space. “This week was our first with different organizations each day, and a lot of other agencies have called asking to participate.”

Currently, the Living Space Drop-in Centre offers services from the following organizations: Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Native Women’s Association, South Cochrane Addictions Services, Porcupine Health Unit Harm Reduction Program, Timmins Native Friendship Centre, Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre, Timmins and Area Women in Crisis, North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services, and Ontario Works. In January, the Timmins-Temiskaming Community Legal Clinic, Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services, and Employment Options will be at the Centre. For a full program schedule, please visit http://livingspacehub.org.

Staff and volunteers at the Living Space Shelter are also providing HOPE Comfort Kits, and the Community Outreach group provides free meals on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 8:30 to 10:00 PM.
“The key to ending homelessness is responding in a coordinated way,” added Sereda. “We hope that by working together, we’ll reach our goal of ending homelessness in Timmins by 2025.”

Please contact Jason Sereda at coordinator@livingspacehub.org if your organization would like to become involved.

For more information, please contact:
Brian Marks
Chair, Living Space Board of Directors
T: (705) 268-7722 ext. 202 | E: Brian.Marks@cdssab.on.ca
Jason Sereda Team Lead – Living Space
T: (705) 531-7233 | E: jsereda@cmhact.ca | W: http://livingspacehub.org

About Living Space

Living Space is a non-profit corporation dedicated to ending homelessness by providing services, shelter, project coordination and planning. It operates a free emergency shelter at 27 Cedar Street North, where a range of community partners offers services to help people transition into stable housing. Living Space also coordinates planning, volunteer training and funding applications to support efforts to end homelessness.

Filed under: Local News