Toronto drop-in centre for older homeless men holds clothing drive on Giving Tuesday

Haven Toronto is one of the few organizations in the country that’s entirely dedicated to supporting elder men experiencing homelessness – a group they say is often forgotten and neglected.

The organization was established during the Great Depression in 1933 and 90 years later, their services still remain critical for many.

“Without this place, there’d be nowhere for me to go,” Mike Day tells CityNews, a Haven client for 17 years.

“I joined here when I was 50. I’m 67 now. I come here every day.”

The drop-in centre is membership based and open to men 50 and older, 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m

“They just come in and see us at the front desk. We ask a few basic questions and provide them with a membership card. For a lot of the guys, that’s the only ID they have, and so it’s really important for them to have that,” says director of operations Natasha Wakaruk.

“Our staff do a pretty good job of directing them to various other community services and helping them navigate the system.”

With Haven’s support over the years, Day has been able to sign up for Old Age Security and find subsidized housing.

“It’s just a room. It’s out of the cold. I’ve got a TV, got lots of movies, I can do a lot of things,” he says.

He continues to get his meals at Haven, which is among the many essential services they provide.

“We also offer services such as nursing care, foot care … we have a dental hygienist that comes twice a month. And it’s really a place for relationships to be built.”

Marketing and development lead Stephen Dorsey says that sense of belonging and community is also a vital service.

“They have friends here, they feel ‘part of’ as opposed to ‘apart,'” he says.

The facility has a library, access to computers and the internet, a pool table and TV area. Dorsey says many visit to socialize and for recreation, while others just need a quiet, warm place to rest and relax.

“Just kind of the normal things that we’re used to, but if you’re homeless and you’re living in shelters, these things are [not accessible],” he says.

Giving Tuesday clothing drive

In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, Haven organized a clothing drive to support one of their other critical services – the clothing room.

“We’re asking for gently used donations of men’s clothing. Sleeping bags are another thing that can come in handy this time of year. Even things like tarps, hand warmers,” says Wakaruk

“So if you imagine yourself walking the streets of Toronto and living rough [you need] warm wool socks and boots, warm pants and sweaters, a jacket and a cap and mittens — the basics of what you need to live in a cold climate like Toronto. So we need everything,” says Dorsey.

The nearly empty clothing room filled up quickly Tuesday morning thanks to support from social media influencers and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. But since they serve hundreds every day, Dorsey says the need remains great.

“Anything that you may have that you’re not using or if you’re able to procure some and bring it to us, it makes a tremendous impact,” he says.

“Some who can’t make it — they can go online and just donate some monies, and then we put that to towards our various programs, including buying clothing. Everybody has a part to play to try and make the life for these elder men a little bit easier every day”

Apart from the clothing drive, donations are accepted at Haven every day and can be dropped off at 170 Jarvis St., Toronto.