The Drop-In Centre is a vital community hub and one of the few safe spaces for people often labeled “too difficult” to support. Most who come are unhoused, living with complex health needs, and without access to mental health care. Each day, the Drop-In provides food, coffee, rest, washrooms, harm reduction supplies, the safety of our Safe Consumption Site with onsite paramedics, and opportunities for employment. In addition, the space is a critical warming and cooling space — part of the city’s official cold and hot weather strategy — offering people relief from harsh conditions and an escape from extreme weather. The Drop-In works closely with emergency services and the City’s Emergency Management Officer to find solutions for the urgent challenges faced by people living without homes.

Support workers walk alongside community members, assisting with housing, medical and mental health care, ID, advocacy, and referrals to other programs. Each month, around 300 individuals rely on the Drop-In — many of whom have been turned away from every other service in the city.

At the centre of it all is the Drop-In. It has always been our heart — the first program to welcome people in without judgment, and the foundation that opened the door to everything that followed. The Drop-In is where compassion became community, and where hope continues to take root.

Yet despite the life-saving role it plays, neither the Drop-In Centre nor the Safe Consumption Site receive government funding. They exist only because of donations and small foundation grants, making community support essential to keeping their doors open.