Every Saturday morning, one of several volunteer teams from St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Waterloo spends part of their day offering granola bars, scones, boiled eggs, fruit cups and warm smiles to the men at ShelterCare. Gai, a member of one of the volunteer teams, has been volunteering regularly for the past three years. […]
“I had stopped believing that help would come.” – Freddy Freddy became homeless in 2021, a year after his brother Max lost his battle with depression. “My brother was very broken and I had always taken care of him my whole adult life,” said Freddy. “And then suddenly Max was gone, and then I couldn’t […]
Bethany Galbraith has a long history with House of Friendship. Her entire family does. “My brother, Matt, was a student at House of Friendship in 2006, so that introduced me to the Emergency Food Hamper program,” said Bethany. That initial connection led to Bethany’s college placement at House of Friendship. It wasn’t long before the […]
“They Help Everybody!” In 2019, Zineb and her family arrived in Canada after spending 10 years in the United States. They had left Libya in 2008, so Zineb’s husband could study for a PhD in Chemistry, on a scholarship. When his studies ended, they could no longer stay in the U.S. They decided to move […]
“It’s not easy being all alone,” said Joy. “I’m glad I found House of Friendship.” Joy came to Canada 23 months ago as a refugee from Nigeria. “I had to run for my life,” said Joy. “I had to leave my family behind.” Joy volunteers weekly at one of House of Friendship’s Neighbourhood Food Programs, […]
There is a church in downtown Kitchener that is making a difference in addressing the problem of homelessness. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church has been part of the Kitchener-Waterloo community since 1854. For more than 170 years, this faithful congregation has had an impact on the world outside its doors through humble ministry, with a special […]
Melina has a very personal reason for the work she does. As Integration Lead at Hospice Waterloo Region, Melina works to provide support to men in House of Friendship’s ShelterCare program who are struggling with the grief that comes with losing a loved one to an overdose. And Melina can provide that support to others […]
Every day, members of the HART Hub Waterloo Region (HHWR) Outreach Team walk alongside community members experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use challenges, meeting people where they are, and connecting them with trusted providers of care and supports across the Region. House of Friendship team members include addiction counsellors and ‘connection coordinators’ who help […]
“Right now, I am five months and 18 days gamble-free. I think that’s probably the longest I’ve gone.” For Lori, her struggle with online gambling started in 2022 with a small, $20 bet on an Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation website. It didn’t take long for her gambling to spiral out of control. “It was […]
In a few short months, people in our community will leave homelessness behind by moving into Friendship Village! The first phase of this project, still under construction in downtown Kitchener, will provide housing and healthcare supports for 100 residents, providing a new pathway out of homelessness for people in our community. A second, later phase, […]
