Ride for Refuge

DROP-IN 

Drop-in is provided Monday – Friday. Individuals 16 and older can come to Street Reach to access a variety of resources and support, including:

What we provide:

• Access to phone & internet
• Sterile drug supplies
• Outerwear (coats, footwear, hats, mittens, etc.)
• Meals and snacks
• System navigation & referral
• Crisis intervention
• Transportation support
• Personal care/hygiene supplies
• Condoms
• Naloxone training & kits
• Point-in-time care and support

Outreach Walks:

Outreach walks occur four times per week. Staff, community partners, and volunteers walk the downtown core with backpacks to support individuals on the streets. These walks offer many of the same services as the Drop-In space, except for internet access and coats/footwear.

• Street Reach partners with the Harm Reduction team and St. John’s Status of Women’s Council, which provides staff for these walks.

Hot Meal and Programming:

Every Thursday evening, Street Reach provides a hot meal, programming, an outreach walk, and typical drop-in supports. Activities include movies, live music, haircuts, and art.

• The evening outreach programming is supported by Street Reach staff, volunteers and community partners.

Support and Connecting People Sleeping Outside:

When individuals, community agencies, businesses, and government entities identify someone sleeping outside, Street Reach is often called to provide support and services.

• These calls have significantly increased over the past two years. Street Reach collaborates with the End Homelessness Outreach Team and the Harm Reduction Team to respond to these calls.

SUPPORT COORDINATION

Street Reach’s core funding supports two Support Coordinators, while End Homelessness St. John’s funds two additional positions. Each staff member provides comprehensive, wrap-around support to approximately 12 individuals with complex needs and significant barriers.

• The positions funded by End Homelessness are exclusively for chronically homeless individuals identified through the Coordinated Access to Homes process.

Case Management Services:

• Support to secure and maintain housing
• Coordination of care
• Accompaniment to appointments
• System navigation
• Provides resources for basic care items
• Referrals to external services
• Support completing applications
• Goal setting
• Transportation support

STREET OUTREACH

Street Reach has expanded to include a full-time street-based outreach service. Two Outreach workers are on the streets of downtown St. John’s generally from Monday to Friday from

10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (with the exception of Friday mornings).

Services Provided:

• Crisis Interventions
• Harm Reduction supplies and overdose prevention
• Referrals to services (community supports, food banks, health services etc.)
• Housing & Homelessness Prevention specific supports
• Assistance to eliminate barriers to access supports (i.e. obtain ID’s, open a bank account)
• Pick up improperly discarded drug use supplies
• Assistance with applications

Resources Available to People:

Resources may vary depending on donations and funding, but generally, outreach workers will make available:

• Snacks & water
• Sterile drug use supplies
• Naloxone Kits
• Access to outerwear
• During extreme weather, staff will make every effort to provide supplies that would minimize risks

Supporting Citizens and Businesses in the Downtown:

If you live and/or work in the downtown core and identify someone who may need support you can call the Outreach Workers to request assistance.

Outreach Workers provide Person-Centered Care – What does this mean?

At Thrive, we believe in the inherent dignity and value of every person and that people have the right to access services that respect their autonomy and ability to make decisions about their own lives.

This means:

• All interactions with outreach workers are voluntary;
• Outreach workers will not pressure individuals to move locations;
• The individual determines what services or supports are most important for them