Operator of Charlottetown's Community Outreach Centre eyes move to a bigger space

Growing demand at the Community Outreach Centre in Charlottetown has its managers looking for a bigger space.

It's been a year and a half since the provincially-funded centre opened at its current location in the former Charlottetown Curling Club on Euston Street. That's the fourth location for the centre since it first opened in January 2020, at 211 Euston St.

The Adventure Group took over the centre's operation from the Salvation Army in April.

Roxanne Carter-Thompson, executive director of the Adventure Group,saidthe client load has been increasing from about 15 in the beginning to 258 inNovember which she says represents a facility at capacity.

"We're running out of space upstairs," she said in an interview from the centre's new basement classroom space.

"It gets really full, and when it gets too full, it just overstimulates our guests, and they really need to have a space where there's some quiet."

On top of that, she said, "the needs are different than when they first started out two years ago."

To that end, the Adventure Group has submitted a proposal to the province for a new three-year-contract to run the outreach centre. It wants funding for more staff, perhaps including a full-time teacher, nurse and custodian.

Carter-Thompson said discussions on a new location are taking place outside the group's latest contract proposal, though.

Hopes for provincial partnership

Carter-Thompson wants to work more closely with the province's shelter system, including the new modular units providing emergency overnight shelter at Park Street in Charlottetown.

Ideally, she said a new outreach centre would be located right next to those units, perhaps in one of the provincially-owned buildings next to the site.

She says that would provide 24-hour care for thoseexperiencing homelessness, something people in the community have been calling for.

At the moment, clients have to leave at 8 a.m. each day, because it'snot intended to provide all-day shelter.

A shuttle has beentaking people back and forth from outreach centre to the Park Street modular units each day and night.

Push for 24-hour care

Carter-Thompson said it would make sense to move the outreach centre closer to the shelter units.

She saidthat would let the Adventure Group offer services to people whenever they need it.

"Especially in the winter months, it would be much easier for people to travel. They wouldn't have to take a shuttle. What happens if the shuttles can't run? Then imagine if they could just walk out their door and the Community Outreach Centre was right there."

She'd also like the province to fund more staff positions so that the outreach centre can help more people develop skills they need to live independently.

They're offering "life skills, GED, education, recovery meetings, to support them and align with what they're doing at Park Street to support people to move forward," saidCarter-Thompson.

'Back on my feet again'

One of those people is Andrew Morrison, who has been studying for his GED at the outreach centre.

He started abusing drugs in high school and never graduated, but he's been clean for four months now.

"I got kicked out of high school when I was 17, and I faced a lot of trauma and stuff like that, and just bullying," he said. "It's good to get back on my feet again."

Morrison has been living in shelters and on the streets. He has a part-time job but wants more work.

On Monday, he found out he's been accepted into a transitional housing program.

"It's a good step to get a place. I never had a place for over a year, so it's definitely amazing. It's an amazing feeling."