2017-18 ICCS Annual Report

2017
Annual Report
For the Period from April 1st 2017 to March 31st 2018
SUPPORT SHELTER SAFETY
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2017 Focus
Samaritan
House
CONTENTS
Executive Director’s Highlights ···················································································································································· 3
Vision and Direction ···································································································································································· 4
Our Teams ··················································································································································································· 5
Strategic Plan ··············································································································································································· 6
Statistics ······················································································································································································ 7
Samaritan House Services ··························································································································································· 8
Sobering and Assessment Services ············································································································································ 11
Safe Harbour and the Bridge ····················································································································································· 12
Oceanside Services ···································································································································································· 14
Donors and Support ·································································································································································· 17
Special People ··········································································································································································· 18
Some Gifts of Significance ························································································································································· 19
Saying Goodbye ········································································································································································· 20
Financial Summary ···································································································································································· 21
Funding, Grants, Gifts in Kind ···················································································································································· 22
2

Last year was an encouraging year as
we have strived towards meeting the
needs of the community.
We moved ahead with our Capital
Campaign for Samaritan House,
named “More Room for Hope” and it
has been exciting to see how much
more well known ICCS now is.
CHANGING FACE OF
HOMELESSNESS
People have been visibly moved by
the photo of Agnes in the More Room
For Hope campaign material and the
stories of how the face of
homelessness has changed. It has
been wonderful to see how people
are coming alongside and raising
funds for us in different ways.
OCEANSIDE
As we have been continuing to work
in the Oceanside area towards the
completion of the Corfield project
this has meant a lot of planning and
collaborating with the community. In
March, Minister Selina Robinson, the
Minister for Municipal Affairs and
Housing, announced approval of the
project and then there was an Open
House where a lot of people had a lot
of questions. Unfortunately,
someone had started up a petition
against the project before the Open
House happened and most of the
information that was being shared by
the opposition group was untrue. I
continue to work in the community
doing presentations and education
around the principles of Housing First
and what this supportive housing
project will mean to the community.
PARKSVILLE WINTER
SHELTER
The Winter Shelter in Parksville was
open from November 1 st until March
31 st at the Arbutus Grove Church in
Parksville. A big thank you goes out
to this small congregation who so
generously shared their building with
us so that we could offer a warm, dry
place for 8 individuals.
CRESCENT HOUSE
The Crescent House team has shown
great strength as they worked
through the issues that came up
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S HIGHLIGHTS
Violet Hayes
Executive
Director
when there was a major
change in a programme.
Nancy Landry who was with
ICCS for many years retired at
the end of March and so this
was another change for the
programme.
COLDEST NIGHT OF
THE YEAR
The Coldest Night of the Year
was again a great success in
both Parksville and Nanaimo.
This year we officially
announced the start of the
Samaritan House capital
campaign at the Nanaimo
event.
STRATEGIC PLAN
We started working on a threeyear
strategic plan led by a
student who is completing her
Masters in Public Administration at
UVIC.
DEDICATED TEAMS
I am so very thankful for the amazing
team that I work with. Where I am
weak they are strong, and I couldn’t
do it without them! We also have a
dedicated team of front line staff who
make such a difference every single
day. This year we celebrate the
commitment of three staff who have
been with us for 10 years!
SAVING LIVES
I recently had three different people
approach me at one event to tell me
how “ICCS saved my life!” This is
what makes it all worthwhile and
makes me proud to be part of such an
amazing team.
Violet
3

Susanne Lee
Chair
“What an honour it is to be on the Board, striving to do my small part to
support those on the executive team and the front line, doing the imperative
work that they do each day. It is a highlight to read the quarterly updates –
the triumphs and even disappointments within the day-to-day happenings of
each program. It shows the vital need for ICCS and its programs. Those in our
community who are in need of a hand up, are blessed to have this Society.”
Rick Sevenhuysen
Vice Chair
“It’s a privilege to serve the needs of our community with the team of caring
individuals at ICCS. There is so much to do, and it’s great to see the
momentum continue to build on the critical programs we strive to offer.”
Bill Crofton
Treasurer
“There is a complex need to for safety and direction for individuals who find
themselves struggling with their lives. I believe that but for the grace of God, I
could be in their shoes. ICCS has an amazing core of dedicated individuals who
treat those who come through their doors with compassion and care
regardless of what has brought them to our houses. Each client finds safety,
love and options to move forward and transition to self support. I chose to be
a director in the hope that I can help enable our staff and volunteers to excel.”
VISION AND DIRECTION
Tom Semper
Secretary
“It is encouraging to see how many people are being supported each year by
ICCS. The way that the support we offer allows people to recover and move
forward is why I continue to be a director.”
Kim Barg
Director
“I’m concerned about the high occupancy rate at Samaritan House, and the
general lack of shelter space in Nanaimo. That is why I am so excited about the
expansion of the building and the More Room for Hope campaign. I am
encouraged by the support we have received from the community so far and
am looking forward to breaking ground on this much needed project.”
Paul Leslie
Director
"Methods of dealing with addictions and mental health problems change over
the years but caring compassion should never change. Many thanks to the
leadership and staff of ICCS for keeping their standards of kindness constant."
Our vision is to provide shelter and care for those in need,
reflecting the love of God in loving one another.
4

Ronéll Bosman
and Michelle
Authier
281
people were
Involved in
fulfilling our
mission
OUR TEAMS
194 Volunteers
54 Front Line Workers (includes part time and casual)
15 Students
9 Managers and Executives
6 Directors
3 Support Staff and Consultants
HEAD OFFICE (137)
1 Executive Director
1 Finance Manager
1 Operations Manager
1 Information Manager
1 Office Manager
1 Marketing Consultant
10 MRFH Committee Members
1 Student
120 Volunteers
SAMARITAN HOUSE SERVICES (38)
Includes Mary’s Place, Martha’s Place, Rent
Subsidies, Outreach
1 Samaritan House Program Director
19 Support Workers
2 Outreach Workers
1 Data Worker
1 Janitorial and Maintenance Worker
4 Practicum Students
10 Volunteers
CRESCENT HOUSE (13)
1 Manager
10 Support Workers
2 Practicum Students
SAFE HARBOUR
AND THE BRIDGE (17)
1 Program Manager
8 Support Workers
7 Practicum Students
1 Volunteer
OCEANSIDE SERVICES (121)
1 Oceanside Director of Services
10 Hirst House Support Workers
7 Winter Shelter Support Workers
1 Outreach Worker
1 Practicum Student
63 Volunteers
5

Goal # 1
STRENGTHEN THE
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
• Increase planning for growth.
• Increase sustainability of the
management structure.
• Plan for future roles.
• Develop the culture of ICCS.
• Develop financial security.
Goal # 2
IMPROVE EMPLOYEE
SATISFACTION
• Strengthen employee’s connection
to ICCS and each other.
• Develop employee wellness
program.
STRATEGIC PLAN
In February 2018 we began a strategic
planning process that originated in a
request from a number of employees to
participate in planning for future growth.
Facilitator: Sarah Poole, MPA candidate,
University of Victoria.
Participants: 6 females and 4 males from
a cross-section of our organization
including representation from the Board
of Directors (2), Executive (4), House
Managers (2), Frontline Staff (2) and
Union Representation (1). This provided
an opportunity for input from a
heterogeneous group with different
educations, experiences, and roles within
the agency.
Process: A series of workshops to map
stakeholders, identify strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges
and perform a situational analysis to
clarify the internal and external forces
influencing ICCS.
Core Competency: Flexibility was
identified as the distinctive core
competency of ICCS. Participants noted
that being flexible has opened new
opportunities and improved relationships
with funders; which also increased the
amount of change and adaptation
necessary.
Identified Opportunities
Improved public awareness, increased
funding, and collaboration with other
agencies.
Identified Issues
How Can ICCS:
1. improve our growth?
2. improve employee experience?
3. increase financial independence?
4. increase community awareness?
These questions were discussed
through a series of engaging exercises
that helped clarify and prioritize the
goals for the Society.
An implementation schedule provided
by Sarah has been started. It will
strengthening our teams so we can
better serve our clients and the wider
communities we live in.
We will engage interested stakeholders
in an ongoing process so that the
commitments made in this plan form
the foundation for a regular practice of
planning.
Goal # 3
INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL
EFFICIENCY
• Improve communication systems.
• Develop training opportunities.
• Complete program evaluations.
6

34,040 >>>>>>>> Number of meals provided.
16,192 >>>>>>>> Number of times people were safe inside instead of on the street.
872 >>>>>>>> Number of times women were turned away at Samaritan House.
640 >>>>>>>> Number of individuals we sheltered.
STATISTICS
205
>>>>>>>> Number of men and women who benefited from a sobering and assessment service.
123 >>>>>>>> Number of individuals who benefited from a crisis stabilization service.
16
>>>>>>>> Number of women who benefited from Supportive Housing.
12 >>>>>>>> Number of people who lived in supportive recovery housing.
7

“Operating
beyond 100%
capacity at
Samaritan House
means women are
aware of the
service and are
using the shelter
to be safe.”
SAMARITAN HOUSE SERVICES
Written by Ronéll Bosman
We were privileged to connect with
community groups with compassion for
the women we work with.
ALTRUSA
The Altrusa International Women’s Group
from Nanaimo, invested in amazing
projects with us. Because of them we have
a safe sheltered space for women to
smoke, a new commercial fridge, and
financial support for other needed items.
ZONTA
The local Zonta Women’s Group supports
us at the shelter by providing a warm
breakfast for the women monthly. They
also provide ongoing donations and
financial aid to run a gift card program for
our women who do onsite chores.
We have been supported by Altrusa and
Zonta with all our fundraising events, and
staff and residents have been invited to
their community events to show
appreciation and to provide information
opportunities.
VOLUNTEERS
Our amazing volunteers were a great
support when it came to picking up food
from the food bank, delivering it to our
different houses, picking up donations in
the community and organizing it. They
supported us with our building and yard
maintenance, fundraising and provided
ongoing care packages and needed items
throughout the year.
FUNDING FOR OUTREACH
We received new funding from BC Housing
to support our residents with outreach
support in the shelter. It has been a
wonderful support for people taking the
next step to secure housing.
TRAINING
All the staff have been trained in HIFIS, a
new BC Housing database to track our
services and the access of women to our
programs.
A safeTalk training was arranged for our
staff to deal with people who talk about
self-harm. A few staff also attended a
Cultural Sensitivity training opportunity in
Duncan that was arranged by the United
Way.
CHALLENGES
Keeping casual staff was difficult as
employees sought better hours and fulltime
work at other programs and other
agencies.
Burn-out is always a danger for front-line
workers and Samaritan House experienced
many clients with challenging behaviours
this year adding to support worker’s
8

Zonta
Members
Make
Breakfast
stress.
One of the benefits of multiple housing
models within one organization is the
flexibility to transfer women quickly to the
program with the level of support they
need. Once on the road to wellness and
gaining independence, there still remains
a lack of safe affordable housing in
Nanaimo.
Our building is one of our biggest
challenges. The lack of space to
accommodate more women at risk is
ongoing and sadly we still turned women
away nightly, even though we used our
overflow mattresses.
We still see more elderly women
accessing the shelter, with complex health
needs.
SUCCESSES
BC Housing provided funding to do some
upgrades including beautiful new flooring
and painted walls. It really changes the
feeling in the shelter. Everything looks
bright, clean and we feel positive and
hopeful for the future. We also received
funding to close the empty lot at the back
with fencing and to put up a shed for
client storage. This helps us better control
the dumping of garbage by others and
brightens up the back yard.
We have a much needed new Outreach
Worker to help connect with the women
we serve.
An electrical upgrade was done on the
outside of the house to provide a light in
our smoke shed and an extra light at the
gate for our staff safety. Eight more
cameras and a new monitor for the
kitchen were added thanks to a grant from
the Vancouver Foundation Compassion in
Action Fund. These upgrades give us more
visibility inside and outside the shelter.
A shower was replaced and upgraded and
we replaced three water tanks and fixed
the drain system in the laundry area.
A Ministry worker comes to the shelter
every Wednesday for two hours to meet
with the women on site, regarding their
income assistance challenges. We hope to
reach out to more community supports
when we are in our new building.
We continue to receive Food 4U from the
food bank, that supported our women in
our supportive, transition and rent subsidy
programs. Although we had a high
turnover in our casual staff, the staff
morale had been positive.
CLIENT SUCCESSES AND
CHALLENGES
We have a woman close to 70 years years
old, who has been at our shelter now for a
year. She came to the shelter because of
financial hardship, there was no addiction.
She never imagined herself ever needing
9

ELDERLY
“An elderly lady with no close family made
the shelter her home the past year after
been evicted. She found a community
where she felt accepted and cared for and
did not show any interest in any other
housing options. It was so sad to hear her
say, “this is my home and you are my family”
One day she collapsed after being sick for a
while. Luckily one of our staff checked on
her. She was turning blue and could not
breathe. They called 911. Staff explained
that they felt her life was slipping away in
front of them. She was hospitalized, the
exceptional reaction and care of staff saved
her life. We are hopeful that she will now be
connected with the services in the
community that she needs and finds longterm
housing that will meet her needs.
So many more to care for…….”
to use a shelter. Family was everything to
her, but she realized how alone she was.
During her stay a family member accessed
the shelter. She cared for her and tried
numerous times to find housing for both,
without success. She has been very
appreciative of her stay at the shelter,
always respectful and helpful. During her
time with us she also worked early
mornings for long days. Her health has not
been good and we also kept her in the
shelter a few times to give her time to
recover and to make sure she would
receive a good meal. It is heart-breaking
that she is spending her golden years in an
emergency shelter. We worked hard to
help her find some solutions. She is now in
Martha’s Place and can relax and rest. She
has privacy but also the support of staff
24/7. There is a community to connect to
when she gets lonely and that makes her
happy. Her amazing strength, compassion
for others and appreciation, have been an
inspiration to all of us.
HEART STRINGS
One of the younger women that we see at
our shelter regularly for years just pulled
our heart strings. She has some challenges
but can be very feisty and can bring a
smile to your face. Some days she would
act like a very rebellious teenager and
other days she would be in tears, crying so
deeply, hurt by what someone said about
her looks, or the girl that was flirting with
her boyfriend. We have learned to just
listen and to not ask questions when she
appears with an oatmeal mask at
breakfast. Her appearance is very
important and she must be the prettiest
girl on the street. She does not have a
good relationship with her family, her
favourite thing to say when she is angry at
her mom is “she is just jealous of me
because I am skinny and pretty.” Hopefully
she will find her way to get the support
she needs and keep on coming to the
shelter to be safe.
MOVING PAST TRAUMA
A young woman, smart and well educated,
with a history of addiction, had been in
and out of the shelter and endured much
trauma on the street from people taking
advantage of her vulnerable situation. She
went for treatment and is now working in
a big city and doing very well. She is close
to her family and calls the shelter regularly
to let us know she is doing well.
MARTHA’S PLACE, MARY’S
PLACE AND RENT SUBSIDY
Our Outreach workers are focused on
building relationships with our residents in
all the programs and to support them with
their goals and finding safe housing, to live
independently. They connect with
resources in the Nanaimo to serve client
needs. They drive clients to medical
10

appointments and link them with other
service providers. They support clients to
apply for identification and help them
access mental health support. Finding
affordable and safe housing is a very
difficult task in our present housing
market.
We had some movement in Martha's
Place as people benefit from the stability
in the house and the staff support. Two
people also moved out of Mary's Place
into market housing with jobs.
More people moved up from the shelter
to the support units. One of our long-term
residents moved out to supportive
housing in the community. We heard that
she is doing well. We have two people
that are going to exit our rent subsidy
program and move on, on their own. All
successes after people were given a safe
and stable housing with support
A music teacher with some challenges
moved up from our shelter to Martha’s
Place where she experienced less anxiety.
She benefitted from the staff and
outreach support. She had a few setbacks
and was admitted to the hospital for
almost six weeks. Emotionally it was so
hard for her to pick up the pieces after her
setback, but felt that our support and nonjudgement
helped her to overcome a lot.
She managed to connect to a program in
the community and has been living very
successfully there. It reminds me of the
power of encouragement and pointing out
people’s strengths.
Some people take small steps and
sometimes a few back, but we focus on
the overall progress. Our staff help clients
re-frame the setbacks and remember the
positives. That is where hope comes from.
SOBERING
IN 2017
CRESCENT
HOUSE HAD:
• 74 requests for supports
with housing.
• 45 referrals to alcohol and
drug services.
• 21 referrals to an opioid
replacement program.
• 16 referrals to a detox.
• 13 referrals to treatment.
11

The transition to sobering and assessment
at Crescent House was completed in 2017.
Long time manager, Nancy Landry,
wanted to make sure the transition was
successful before she retired. A number
of challenges were faced and met by
Nancy and the team and additional
support was provided by returning
manager, Sylvia Downer, after Nancy
retired.
The primary role of Sobering and
Assessment beds is to provide a safe place
for adults who are under the influence to
sleep. The hope is that the number of
visits to the Emergency Department at the
hospital can be reduced, and the Hospital,
and other agencies, can refer clients who
are stable to Crescent House for
Monitoring.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
One of the most important aspects of this
service is building relationships with
individuals who may not be known to
health workers. An Island Health Nurse
visits the program every day and connects
with visitors who are looking for
information, referrals, and medical care.
There are hours during the day when
people can arrive for self referral and the
Hospital and RCMP refer at any time.
SUBSTANCES USED
The most commonly used substances
reported by clients were alcohol (106),
crystal meth (90), opioids (62), and
cocaine (11).
LOOKING FOR HELP
Of the 2,059 visits at the program in the
reporting period only 31 individuals
declined services from the nurses. This
means that most people who are
accessing this service are looking for help.
HARM REDUCTION
Crescent House is a good example of how
a commitment to a harm reduction model
can save lives and reach people who might
not otherwise be reached.
SAFE HARBOUR AND THE BRIDGE
Written by Ruth Adam
It is my privilege to serve up again the
annual report of our two houses, Safe
Harbour and the Bridge.
The dates between April 2107 ~ March
2018 have a dash between them. Today
we talk about that dash.
This year at Safe Harbour and the Bridge
many meals were lovingly prepared,
many rooms kept clean, meds and first
aid given, support and love given to our
guests. The grounds and garden were
well kept by our team and VOC crew
made up of past guests. Rooms were all
painted, repairs done, plumbing repairs,
new flooring applied, mattresses
replaced, and donations given… many
people to thank.
STORMS AND LOSS
We walked a number of our guests
through grief as they lost significant
others; we cared for a number of youth
who experienced the first psychosis of
their lives and experienced a few being
returned to clarity; we have seen a larger
number of seniors who have become
homeless this past year and are moved by
it; we have seen the stabilization of many
crises and people being taken to
treatment, reconciled with family, and
being successfully housed once stabilized.
We have experienced the losses of some
of our past guests who had stabilized but
whose bodies became tired. We have
hurt when a guest goes out again to
repeat their cycle of addiction, not yet
seeing their value and purpose, hoping to
welcome them back with open arms.
LOVE NEVER FAILS
As I meditated about the theme of this
report, I struggled over where to begin.
As I was pondering this, a statement from
a friend,” Love changes everything.”
dropped in my heart and then I became
aware of the theme of our year. The Bible
says that love is patient, kind, not easily
angered, keeps no record of wrong,
always protects, always trusts, hopes and
perseveres to name a few definitions. Oh!
and it never fails. Knowing that it never
fails should motivate us to express it!
We can be people of great education and
efficiency, knowing every aspect of the
psychology of mental illness and crisis, as
well as the intricacies of addiction. We
can know the path of recovery and
recognize it in a person’s life. We can
know the strategic words to say to
counter the runaway thoughts in our
guest’s minds. We can be veritable
contortionists with words…but the thing
is that whatever we say, if not backed up
with love for our guests, we have worked
in vain.
12

Ruth Adam
with Maxine
and Bill
Crofton
Safe Harbour and the Bridge Continued…
THE VALUE OF PEOPLE
Love prefaces our work; motivates us;
moves us to recognize the value of each
individual person who is brought to
us in order to reflect back to each
one, their great value. Love obliges
us to see each one as God sees
them and call forth their purpose
that may have been lost to them
for a time.
Love calls us to build one another
up and create a space of safety and
belonging for even perhaps a
temporary experience, but I believe that
having a taste of belonging, love, and
esteem beyond the food- shelterclothing,
is what truly changes people.
AN ELDERLY WOMAN
An elderly woman who attended our
home was very frightened initially to come
to this strange place but now is
transforming because of esteem and love.
She became animated that she was loved
“I believe that having a taste of
belonging, love, and esteem beyond
the food- shelter- clothing, is what
truly changes people.”
just for being alive. When words of life are
poured into a person who has been only
devalued it can bring miraculous results
and the ripple effect is ongoing.
Love brings our past guests to our door to
let us know how they are doing. It brings
past guests to our dinner table at
Christmas and other occasions. Phone
calls from the past come to us as well as
guests touch base with us about their
successes, trials and life changes. This is
because they felt that there was a
bond that cared beyond the physical
care of each one. It also brings
poems, pictures, letters, and
artworks of many kinds to express
the words of life that they receive.
STUDENTS
During the last two years, it has been
a mission to have practicum
students come into our houses to perhaps
learn our way of treating people in crisis.
We model responding to and supporting
our guests to these students in order that
them may go out and create caring and
respectful environments.
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Safe Harbour and the Bridge continued…
I must thank my co-worker team again this
year who have continued to be mutually
supportive, creative in care, and steadfast
in caring for those brought to us. Each
staffer is so different and brings a special
variety to our guests. I have considered
myself so fortunate to be a part of this
team’s life. I emphasize that we are
growing to be a caring and loving team to
our guests as well as to each other and
that is what will keep us healthy in this
work.
assigned to do in this city and the ripple
effect from this care can be
transformational to our community. Dear
Mother Theresa was quoted as saying that
“small things done with great love will
change the World.” Who wouldn’t want to
be a part of this! May God Bless you and
keep you focussed and strong in this
coming year.
Ruth
My hope for our future as a Society is to
never lose our mission and focus no
matter what. There is something great and
healing about what we have been
OCEANSIDE SERVICES
Hirst House
Written by Patricia Anderson
Hirst House provides crisis stabilization beds for shortterm
care for adults with serious and persistent mental
health issues and those with addictions. A 90-day stay
is the estimated length of time needed to stabilize an
individual and then move them to a more appropriate
and helpful setting, or to move them home.
In Parksville, the issue is — where to move them once
they stabilize. There is a lack of housing - safe and
affordable, and in some our clients’ cases, supported.
NO SUITABLE HOUSING IN THE
OCEANSIDE REGION
Unfortunately, when a client stabilizes at Hirst House
and no longer needs our level of support, they can’t
always be discharged because there is no suitable
housing to go to in the community.
During the reporting period, we had nineteen
individuals registered at Hirst House. Because we are
the only quick response housing in the area for this level
of need our beds are cherished and carefully filled with
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individuals who, without this sort of
support, would find themselves in serious
personal crisis and unsafe situations.
All our referrals come from the Integrative
Health Care Team at Oceanside Health
Centre.
I looked at the information collected over
the last fiscal year and summarized it to
give the reader an indication of the folks
we serve, some of the personal challenges
they face and some of the systemic
challenges they face moving out of Hirst
and back into community.
ARE PEOPLE HOMELESS
WHEN THEY GET TO
HIRST HOUSE?
17 out of the 19 had no home to return to
when they came to us.
8 were absolutely homeless.
5 were removed from home because
family could no longer provide for their
needs; 3 because of health issues, 2
because they had caregivers in their 90’s.
4 lived in residences that were no longer
habitable; 3 condemned, 1 destroyed by
fire.
2 of 19 weren’t homeless, but in crisis. 1
was a short term stay for respite.
1 transitioned from hospital to Hirst to
home.
ARE HIRST HOUSE CLIENTS
LOCAL OR TRANSIENT?
The graph on the previous page shows
that the majority of people who access
services at Hirst House have lived in the
Oceanside Region for more than 3 years
(16 of 19) and 11 of 19 (over half) had
lived here for more than 20 years.
HOW DID CLIENTS PAY?
12 out of 19 were on government support
with Person’s with a Disability
designation—this means they have been
assessed as permanently needing support
due to diminished mental or physical
health.
3 of 19 were seniors and on fixed income.
3 of 19 were deemed as able to earn an
income, and received temporary
government financial assistance. They
were expected to find work within a
stated period of time. Of those 3, only 1
found a job in area but couldn’t find any
place to live near the job so had to leave
the job when discharge. Didn’t have a car.
1 was supported by a working husband.
HOW MANY WERE
ACTIVE IN
ADDICTIONS?
3 out of 19 were known to actively
seek drugs. That is roughly 16%.
HOW DID CLIENTS
GET AROUND TOWN?
2 had cars, 8 used the bus, 9 walked.
WHERE DID CLIENTS
GO AFTER HIRST
HOUSE?
Only 2 of the 19 had safe adequate
housing to return to.
“ I just want to say that I’m
better having stayed at Hirst
House. It felt safe and calm.”
- Hirst House Client
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Oceanside
Outreach
Written by Kevin Mack, ICCS Outreach
Worker
As an outreach worker for the Island Crisis
Care Society in Parksville I have the
privilege of supporting a diverse group of
people weekly as part of the Housing
Outreach Support Team (HOST).
I visit members of the Oceanside
community who have homes, but are at
risk of homelessness and support them in
being successful at maintaining and
keeping their homes.
Many of the people in this program are
long-time members of our community and
each has a story to share. Each week these
community members share with me their
struggles, hopes and dreams for the
future.
As many don’t have reliable
transportation and live in isolated areas
we’ll often go on outings to the grocery
stores, visit events, go on nature walks,
and connect with the community in other
meaningful ways.
At times I can be a listening ear for some
and help with an issue or challenge over
coffee. Although I’ve only been in this role
for a short period of time, I am constantly
in awe and inspired by the courage these
folks have demonstrated in overcoming
adversity in their lives.
As a part of the HOST team I’ve witnessed
first-hand how the principles of Housing
First have been successfully implemented
in changing lives for the better in our own
community.
Parksville
Winter
Shelter
Parksville Winter Shelter was open for 151
consecutive nights from November 1,
2017 to March 31, 2018.
The Shelter was set up in Arbutus Grove
church in downtown Parksville.
It was an eight-bed shelter for both men
and women and provided shelter, an
evening meal, and breakfast.
It was open from 6pm to 8am everyday
during this time.
HOW MANY DAYS DID
PEOPLE USE BEDS?
A total of 968 bed nights were used; 896
beds by males – 92% of total used beds
taken.
72 beds were used by females – 8% of
total used beds.
WHO USED THE SHELTER?
62 different folks used the services this
past season; 50 men and 12 women.
Ages Men Women
60+ 4 0
45-59 10 1
35-44 16 4
20-34 18 6
Under 19 2 1
PREDICTIONS
From the numbers recorded above and
the observations of the HOST team, ICCS
executives estimate that between 60 to
120 people each year in the Oceanside
Region experience a housing crisis that
pushes them into homelessness. The
Winter Shelter does not see those who
live outdoors during the spring and
summer months when mild temperatures
make tenting preferable. Many people
wait until warm weather to leave a
temporary living arrangement in search of
something better.
ICCS predicts that the numbers of people
seeking emergency shelter in the winter of
2018/19 will be more than 70 adults.
Oceanside Taskforce on Homelessness
Violet continued to co-chair the Oceanside
Task Force on Homelessness is with
Susanna Newton of the Society of
Organized Services and Sharon Welch of
Forward House Community Society.
Task force members include additional
representatives from Haven Society,
Kairos, the RCMP Oceanside Detachment,
Canadian Mental Health Association,
Oceanside Health Centre, City of
Parksville, Town of Qualicum Beach, and
the Regional District of Nanaimo.
The Taskforce was started in 2010 by the
City of Parksville to addressing
homelessness and related issues in the
catchment area of School District 69.
Efforts of the group in 2017 included
monitoring the effectiveness of the
Parksville Winter Shelter, planning a
homelessness count, and providing
information and responses regarding the
proposed supportive housing building at
222 Corefield South.
For more information about the taskforce
and the latest news visit their website at:
https://oceansidehomelessness.com
ICCS also remained an active member of
the HOST team, a successful collaboration
initiated by the Task Force.
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Agnes, the
new face of
homelessness
DONORS AND SUPPORT
More Room
for Hope
Campaign
DONATION TOTALS FOR THE MORE ROOM FOR HOPE CAMPAIGN
01 APRIL 2017—31 MARCH 2018
After feeling the heart-ache of having to turn
away women on most nights at Samaritan
House, in all good consciousness we could no
longer wait for the housing situation in
Nanaimo to improve. We knew we had to act.
We had previously purchased the empty lot
adjacent the 100-year-old current Samaritan
House and began to put our dream into
action.
Our Board said yes – we’re all in. We
recruited a great Campaign Team and they
said we’re all in. And our dedicated staff, who
know only too well that something needed to
be done, said we’re in as well!
Grand Total: $113,242.82
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In August Sheila Malcolmson, Member of Parliament
for Nanaimo—Ladysmith, and New
Democrat Critic for Women's Equality, toured
Samaritan House to learn first hand about the
dire need for more room and resources at the
shelter. Ms. Malcolmson promoted fundraisers
for Samaritan House on her Facebook page
and we were very grateful to have her attention
and support.
SPECIAL PEOPLE
CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
MEMBERS IN 2017
Carrie Chassels – Associate VP Student
Affairs, VIU
Rob Cunningham – BMO
Sharon Hobenshield – Director Aboriginal
Education & Engagement, VIU
Paul Leslie – Board of Directors ICCS
Carolyn Phillips-Cusson – President CUE
Consulting
Spencer Sterritt – Nanaimo News Now
John Tait – GT Hiring Solutions
We are very grateful to the members of this
committee for the time and attention given to
this worthy project.
In March 100 youth
from the Latter Day
Saints went door to
door raising
awareness about the
More Room for hope
Campaign.
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100 Women Who Care
Donated $14,400 to the
More Room for Hope
Campaign.
Parksville Merchants
raised $6,800 for the
Parksville Extreme
Weather Shelter.
Western Financial Group
Employees donated
$2,735 for the Samaritan
House Expansion.
Shaw Nanaimo Donated
$4,667.80 for the More
Room For Hope
Campaign.
Jeff King of Personal Real
Estate Corporation
donated to support ICCS
Programs.
Mercedes Courtoreille
organized a Winter Gala
and raised over $7,000
for Samaritan House.
The Rogers Foundation
donated $5,000 to the
More Room for Hope
Campaign.
Pheasant Hill Homes
donated over $1,600 of
labour and materials to
prevent structural failure
at Samaritan House.
SOME GIFTS OF SIGNIFICANCE
Many individuals,
businesses, and
organizations supported
us this year that we can’t
picture them all!
SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS
We appreciated all our
donors for their generosity
and gifts.
Steve Marshall Ford ran a
campaign over the winter
in which they pledged to
donate $100 for every
vehicle they sold and the
total came to $23,600.00!
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NANCY LANDRY
Nancy Landry retired this year after
serving clients first at Samaritan House
and then at Crescent House for almost
20 years.
Nancy,
surrounded by
peers at her
retirement
dinner
Known as a consummate expert at
creating a feeling of safety and stability,
she demonstrated the highest level of
hospitality to everyone she served. A
beloved mentor to many support
workers Nancy demonstrated the fine
balance between accepting others and
keeping healthy boundaries.
Those of us who had the privilege to work
with Nancy know her as a warm and
caring person who related with a strong
heart and practical instincts. Able to see
beyond the most challenging behaviours
to the person behind the illness, Nancy her the best in her retirement. Of course
acted as a calming and common sense those who know her, know she will be
touch stone for countless clients. Nancy’s caring for people for many years to come
shoes have been hard to fill, but we wish in one way or another.
SAYING GOODBYE
GRANVILLE MACLELLAN
AND JEAN MARC RUSSI
Two men passed away this year who, in
their similar ways, exemplified the work of
ICCS. Both were known for their warm
personalities and servant hearts. Both
were examples of meekness and strength.
Granville was
a retired
RCMP officer
who came to
ICCS with his
wife Barbara
at a time when
the organization
was growing and in need of
direction. Barb was the Executive Director
and Granville was the Deputy Executive
Director. Barb provided the lively
authority and spirited leadership that built
trust and confidence in members and
employees, and Granville was the living
embodiment of service and thoughtful
deliberation.
Granville demonstrated acceptance and
warmth from a deep faith in God and put
into action the vision of the society. His
impact on those who he worked with was
lasting. He brought practical advice from
his years in service as a police officer, and
his gentle questions and insightful
observations marked him as a man of
wisdom and patience.
“He always led with kindness,”
commented Ruth Adam, manager of Safe
Harbour and the Bridge. We miss Granville
and honour his memory.
Jean Marc Russi started with ICCS shortly
after Crescent House was created. He
stepped up to take on the management of
the program but quickly realized that his
gifts were not best used in that capacity.
He transferred to Hirst House where he
worked as a Support Worker until near the
end of his life.
“When I first
met Jean Marc,”
commented
Richard Powell,
Information
Manager for
ICCS, “I sensed
in him a deep compassion and concern for
people that was evident on his face and in
his very being. He was a man of much love
and acceptance.” Others who worked with
him described him as a truly spiritual man,
putting into action his faith and values.
At ICCS we often talk about the balance
between creating structure with rules and
consistent treatment, and responding to
people with compassion and acceptance.
Both are needed and yet in the stress of a
busy program it is easy to lean more on
the rules than on compassion. Jean Marc
did not, he leaned always on compassion.
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REVENUE SOURCES
The majority of revenue for ICCS comes from
government sources including Island Health,
BC Housing, and The Ministry of Social
Development and Poverty Reduction (through
per diem payments and client room and
board.) Grants, Donations, and Fundraising are
a growing percentage of our revenue.
The major expenditure for the society is
salaries and wages as shown below. See page
5 for more details on the roles and numbers of
people employed by ICCS.
EXPENSES - SALARIES
AND WAGES
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
EXPENSES (NOT INCLUDING SALARIES AND WAGES)
Complete Audited Financial Statements are available upon request as
prepared by:
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WE RELY ON ONGOING CORE FUNDING OR TAX EXEMPTIONS FROM THESE
AGENCIES. WE RECOGNIZE WITH GRATIDUE AND THANKS THE TRUST AND
PARTNERSHIP THAT THESE FUNDS REPRESENT.
FUNDING, GRANTS, GIFTS IN KIND
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ONE TIME GRANTS AND GIFTS IN KIND FROM BUSINESSES,
COMMUNITY PARTERNS, AND FOUNDATIONS. THIS YEAR WE EXTEND SPECIAL
THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS.
Compassion in Action Fund
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