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Housing First, then Stability – a word from Executive Director, Peter Rozeluk

September 27, 2019
The Rotholme Family Shelter Housing First program that we know of as PHAF (Prevention of Homelessness Among Families) has three components: Housing Diversion, Housing Selection, and Housing Stability. I am going to focus on Housing Stability. Housing Stability includes the things necessary for families to retain their housing when it is found. Housing Stability is

A Busy, Exciting Summer at Rotholme Family Shelter

September 27, 2019
It has been a busy summer at Rotholme Family Shelter. Dellah and Sierra, the Child Activity Workers for Rotholme’s Summer Day Camp have been hard at work. They have been planning, implementing and coordinating lots of fun activities, trips, and experiences for the children staying in the emergency shelter over the summer. “They’re really active

Thanksgiving Dinner – $3.11

September 17, 2019
“I often remember experiencing a sense of panic as the sun went down on cold, wet or snowy days,” says Rob about sleeping on the streets. “I would say that these cold days and nights would count among the worst I have ever experienced.” As we prepare our homes for Thanksgiving gatherings, there are many

Advocacy – July 2019 – Quintin Warner House (Addiction Treatment Program)

July 19, 2019
If you would like to help advocate for the Quintin Warner House program, please fill out, sign, and send the advocacy letter to your MPP and/or the Minister of Health. The letters are addressed, all you have to fill out is your name and signature. If you wish, there is space below your signature to

Resilience Above All

July 19, 2019
I have wondered about various strands of information I have heard recently: community support and opposition to supervised consumption sites; funding announcements and withdrawals; opioid crisis, to name a few. Collectively, the information suggests that we have a problem – NOT “they” have a problem, NOT London has a problem, but WE have a problem.

The Times They Are A-Changin’ at Quintin Warner House

July 19, 2019
As the saying goes, “The only thing that is constant is change.” This past winter, news spread of the changes occurring to Quintin Warner House’s live-in addiction treatment program due to a budget gap that could no longer be filled by generous donors. The changes were effective as of April 1, 2019, and through the

Long Road to Recovery: Paul’s Story

July 19, 2019
Paul grew up in a small town, “It was small town life, not much to do,” he muses. His foray into experimenting with drugs and alcohol began at a rather young age. In grade seven, he and his friends were attending school dances drunk. While he had started smoking weed as well, at this point

Dehydration. Heat Stroke. You Can Help Our Struggling Neighbours.

July 19, 2019
It’s a matter of life and death on the streets of London. Environment Canada reports we are in the midst of a weekend-long heatwave . And when temperatures surge, it’s our most vulnerable neighbours—the ones experiencing homelessness—who suffer most. They face the threat of dehydration, heat stroke, or even death. But there is some good

Celebrating Our Volunteers

April 24, 2019
Mission Services of London (MSL) begins the celebration of its volunteers with an acknowledgement that MSL does not and cannot exist without the faithful service of hundreds of volunteers each year throughout the entrire organization. Indeed, during its 68 year existence, thousands upon thousands of our London neighbours have made our community a lovely, welcoming

A Walk to Remember: Raising Awareness and Funds for those Experiencing Homelessness

April 24, 2019
The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk, which Mission Services hosted for the eighth time in our city, is a national event where communities from Newfoundland to British Columbia walk to raise awareness and funds for those experiencing homelessness. Perhaps it’s a more symbolic event name than apt, since the weather for walk day