A toolkit to help businesses and community members in Chatham-Kent better understand and engage with local homelessness response efforts is now available.
Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K.) said the toolkits will be available starting on Friday to serve business owners and community members who may feel disconnected from or unaware of the homelessness response in the municipality.
"The goal is to provide practical guidance, reduce stigma, and encourage compassionate and informed interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness," said R.O.C.K. Executive Lead Haleigh Hill.
Hill said a Quick Reference postcard has also been developed to provide information at a glance on who to call in specific situations, including key phone numbers for outreach services, sharps (needles) clean-up, shelter, and other essential resources to ensure that businesses and community members have immediate access to support when needed.
Businesses, BIAs, and community members interested in getting the toolkits and post cards can contact R.O.C.K. at 226-627-6163 or ck@reachoutck.com.
A digital copy can be accessed by clicking here.
R.O.C.K. noted it serves 300 people in Chatham and 120 in Wallaceburg each week.
It also reported seeing approximately 20-30 people each day at their Chatham drop-in location and another 30-40 people each day at the Wallaceburg drop-in site.
R.O.CK. also continues to grow the Peer-2-Peer program (P2P), which operates weekly out of the Chatham drop-in centre to provide easier access to information, harm reduction supplies, community-driven outreach, and support to people who are currently experiencing homelessness and people who use substances.
The P2P program continues to be one of the largest distributors of naloxone in Chatham-Kent, facilitates harm reduction information sessions, and has helped over 100 people acquire replacement I.D. and/or health cards, according to R.O.C.K.