Winnipeg group looking for volunteers to build relationships with homeless

A group that works with homeless people in Winnipeg is looking for volunteers to help connect with people who choose to live on city streets.

The Community Homeless Assistance Team (CHAT), run by Downtown BIZ, hits the streets every day, meeting with people who are "unsheltered" — those who don't feel comfortable living in a homeless shelter for a myriad reasons.

They're hoping to attract more volunteers to help offer resources and build relationships.

"We know their names. We know their backgrounds. If they don't want to work with us, they still see us and say hi," said Christy Loudon, CHAT'S outreach co-ordinator.

Unsheltered now 'in plain sight'

Loudon said she believes there's been an increase in the number of people who choose to live in homeless camps instead of at emergency shelters, even when extreme cold hits Manitoba. 

• Extreme cold forces school closures in Manitoba, strains shelter capacity

"They've all been around, they just haven't been right in plain sight," she said. "I think the more educated the public gets on how our city is and what's happening, they start to pay more attention."

New volunteers would help connect the unsheltered with resources for health, housing, employment or even just a friendly interaction.

Carl Woldrich, who is currently homeless, says outreach workers aren't effective unless they're in it for the long haul.

"I've seen a lot of workers that come and go because they can't handle how bad the people are. They're in really in rough shape," he said.

"You gotta watch what you say. You can't just ask them 'are you high? Are you doing needles?' You just have to have a lot of patience."

Some people choose to live outside because they experience anxiety or mental health issues and shelters make them uneasy, Loudon said. Many shelters don't allow people to use drugs, and some people CHAT works with are facing addictions or would just rather be independent.

No experience needed 

CHAT has under 10 people working in the group, but they've been trying to retain volunteers for the past year. They've had some success in collaborating with groups like Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatawin, but they're always looking for more.

She said the key to making people who live outside feel supported is to build a relationship, so volunteers don't need experience — just commitment.

"People don't want to have to keep telling their story over and over and over again to brand new people," said Loudon. "It gets exhausting, and then they just don't feel like they're being heard or seen."

CHAT takes safety of staff very seriously, Loudon said. They know which camps are unsafe to approach and which are more friendly. They make an effort not to trespass on tent camps, and need volunteers who would treat the people who live there with respect.

"We are very cautious when we're patrolling and looking out for things," she said.

"We wouldn't barge into somebody's house while they're sleeping, so we treat it the same way. We're not going to walk into anybody's residence. We're just calling out."

More data needed

According to End Homelessness Winnipeg's last Street Census, 204 people were living on city streets during one spring night in April 2018. There are no new numbers yet, but CEO Lucille Bruce said public awareness has grown about the issue.

"Anecdotally our partners in the community who provide emergency outreach in shelter services are noticing a higher volume of client interaction this winter compared to last winter, both inside and outside of emergency shelters," she said.

Bruce said this is one reason why there needs to be a better way of keeping track of those who are transient in Winnipeg. She said they're working on a shareable database for Winnipeg groups to collect information on how many people they've helped, how and when, similar to the federal government's system.

End Homelessness Winnipeg will be conducting their street census again in April.