Feeding the needs of the community
What do you do when you’re being asked to stay home as much as possible, but you don’t have the means to stock up on food and the places where you normally get your food are no longer there?
This was the reality faced by many of the 50 residents who live at Peterson Place in Surrey, BC, but thanks to the generosity of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society Responsive Grant, Fraserside will be able to offer residents at Peterson Place three nutritious meals a week from May through to August.
Since the beginning of April residents at Peterson Place have been receiving three meals a week through a collaboration between Phoenix Society and Fraserside. “I am thankful to the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society for this grant”, said Lynda Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer at Fraserside Community Services Society. “When you’re being asked to stay home, but there’s no food there, that’s a hard ask. But knowing that a healthy and tasty meal is on its way helps reduce the stress of uncertainty a little bit. This pandemic has been especially hard on those who live on the margins of society, but it’s also been an opportunity to highlight the generosity and good will in our community.”
Together, the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society, Phoenix Society and Fraserside Community Services Society have combined good will, compassion and commitment to create a community of belonging within the City of Surrey.
Fraserside operates Peterson Place on behalf of BC Housing. Peterson Place is currently undergoing a large-scale project that will see an additional 38 new homes for people experiencing homelessness in the region. The expansion also includes additional programs and services, such as on-site 24/7 support staff, trauma-informed support care, commercial kitchen.
The Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society raises, manages and distributes funds to support programs, projects and initiatives to make a difference in the lives of people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in Surrey.
The Phoenix Society is dedicated to providing accessible services and opportunities to people who face barriers related to addiction, mental health, housing, education, criminal justice involvement and/or employment. The Society responds to the needs of their clients across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley by offering an extensive continuum of care from outreach and harm reduction services to a diverse range of residential addiction treatment, housing and recovery supports.