On June 19th, United Way held their annual Day of Caring in which volunteer groups from local businesses join together with non-profit organizations to have a work be on a specific project. 

The Lighthouse was paired with an energetic and hard-working team from Mosaic, who decided to give our men’s emergency shelter a makeover. They gave the dorm a thorough cleaning, painted the wall, the bases of the beds, bought fresh bedding and pillows, and hung sports Jerseys on the wall. It was great to make our men’s shelter into a more masculine, relaxing, home-y space.

For many of the gentlemen who stay in our emergency shelter they have exhausted all other options of places to stay. They may arrive traumatized or severely broken. Circumstances in their life may have suddenly changed due to mental or physical health challenges, lost of a job, or changes stemming from their current place of residence.

The Lighthouse works to build them back up again by starting with a good night’s sleep in a safe place, a hot meal, and a warm bed. From there we work to access next steps so they can have a place to call home again. Some of the people who stay in our shelter may need help to live independently and for them we offer our supported living suites. Other may need a landlord to take a chance on them and qualify for our affordable housing suites. Still other men may just need a brief place to stay before the find appropriate housing in the wider community. 

Thank you so much to the Mosaic crew for all their hard work. Their spirit of generosity and willingness to give back to those less fortunate in our community really humbled the Lighthouse staff and clients.

Thanks also to the United Way for coordinating the Day of Caring. Last year our women’s shelter received a makeover during the Day of Caring, and we are already looking forward to next year! To learn more about United Way’s Day of Caring visit: http://www.unitedwaysaskatoon.ca/news.php.