Over the last ten years, the Journey Home Program based at The United Way Saskatoon has housed over 170 people experiencing homelessness.

In an effort to double that number over the next ten years, The United Way has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services. United Way Saskatoon CEO Sheri Benson says her organization contracted Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services to reach out to the unhoused individuals, find them a place to live, and offer them wrap around supports as part of the Journey Home Program.

“Journey Home uses an intervention that’s called Housing First. Folks get the support to find, first, safe, affordable housing, and then the support services are wrapped around that individual.”

Since then, the partnership has been providing people from all walks of life with housing, include case management, medical attention, healthy food, and reconnection services.

“Some people will need support for a very short period of time. It might be just around housing, maybe reconnecting around employment, going back to school, maybe reconnecting with family, and they may move on from the program. Some people who are really struggling have a lot of barriers. They might have been living on the streets for years and years and years, they will have support for a lot longer.”

Benson says United Way Saskatoon hasn’t raised enough money to expand the program, but it has always been the plan as soon as enough donations are collected.

United Way Saskatoon has a fundraising goal of $3.5 million this year. Donations can be made online at unitedwaysaskatoon.ca/give.