Being short on cash is a tall order

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2015 (3294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a year ago this month that I fell in love with Sunshine House.

JD Ormond, a local singer/songwriter and program co-ordinator at the resource centre invited me to hang out with the Sunshine Band, composed of local musicians as well as participants of the Solvent Users’ Recreation Project (SURP), a twice-weekly drop-in program. That day, the crew was gearing up for its official CD-release show. I got to spend a sunny spring afternoon surrounded by art, music and laughter. I met a man named Marvin, who told me he spent half his life sniffing. “It keeps me away from stuff — and it keeps me out of trouble,” he said of the drop-in program. Marvin doesn’t sniff anymore. He’s been clean for a decade.

Sunshine House is a drop-in resource centre at the corner of Logan Avenue and Sherbrook Street that serves some of Winnipeg’s most marginalized populations, including street-involved and homeless people, many of whom are affected by addiction. It is one of the only facilities of its kind that’s open to solvent users. The centre works under the principles of social inclusion and harm reduction, meaning people are allowed to come as they are. They do not need to be clean and sober.

Those aren’t the only reasons Sunshine House is one of this city’s gems. It also consistently offers innovative recreational programming on a shoestring. And that programming is important. It gives purpose and self-esteem to people who have been ignored and boxed out by society. As Ormond says, “Recreation is good for everyone. It shouldn’t just be for people who can afford it.”

The latest highlight on the Sunshine House roster is Like That, a weekly drop-in for those exploring gender and/or sexual identity.

The program is co-ordinated by Levi Foy, who co-founded it with Margaret Ormond, special programs manager at Sunshine House (and JD’s mom). They recognized a need for a safe, inclusive space for folks who identify as LGBTQ — or simply as “like that,” no identifier required. For two hours every Monday night, people can go to Sunshine House and just be themselves.

Foy says there is an emphasis on participant-driven programming. “We want it to have a summer-camp feel versus a classroom feel.” It was the group that came up with the idea for Queens & Tacos, a fundraising taco sale wherein drag queens will deliver tacos to your office. The fundraiser goes down on Monday; get your pre-orders in to 204-783-8565 or contact@sunshinehousewpg.org by today.

“I would love to see it be sustainable,” Foy says of Like That. He wishes the group had more time and more resources, a frustration echoed by other Sunshine House staff. It’s amazing what the centre does, especially considering the fact it doesn’t have core funding. In addition to Like That, the centre runs Automotivate, an introductory auto-restoration training program. The program is supported by Local Investment Toward Employment (LITE).

Sunshine House is offering a new foot clinic called Street Feet on Wednesday afternoons with support from Mount Carmel Clinic.

On Sundays, the centre offers a $2 brunch and clothing giveaway provided by Wolseley Wardrobe.

Tireless fundraising is the engine behind Sunshine House. The lack of money is a great motivator.

“It’s one of those things that forces us to do creative things — it almost lights a fire under the organization,” JD says.

I met a man named Marvin, who told me he spent half his life sniffing. ‘It keeps me away from stuff — and it keeps me out of trouble,’ he said of the drop-in program.

Marvin doesn’t sniff anymore. He’s been clean for a decade.

“But having funding would allow us to focus on other things. We want to be stable enough to be able to open our doors more often. In the past when programs have ended, you have to start writing grants again. There are people on the streets who aren’t going anywhere. It sucks to have to close your doors.”

“It’s a constant hustle,” adds Margaret.

“We have all these great ideas and great people — and then we have to make it happen. It can be an adventure, but it can be exhausting. It’s an unusual joint. Because we have so little money, it gives us a kind of swagger. It’s kind of a bratty position. Like, ‘Look what we can do and we don’t have any money,’ ” she sings.

Imagine all they could do if they did.

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca