Milton Community Housing Coalition donation

The Milton Community Housing Coalition will be donating $2000 to Home Suite Hope Milton. Thank you so much. The MCHC group was formed in 2000 and ceased meeting in 2008, but has collected additional donations. Milton Transitional Housing will have a lot of freedom on how the $2000 donation is spent. The MCHC donors will be notified how their donations are being put to good use with MTH to support those at risk of homelessness in Milton.

Salvation Army Food Drive

The Salvation Army will be doing a food drive on the morning of Saturday December 3rd. Please respond or let the SA know if you are willing to volunteer to help out.

Milton Chamber of Commerce

Home Suite Hope Milton (Milton Transitional Housing Corp.) is now a member of the Milton Chamber of Commerce. We all look forward to attending the Chamber of Commerce events and making new connections around town to support our transitional housing goals for those at risk of homelessness in Milton.

Town of Milton Community grant

We have applied for a $5,000 grant from the Town of Milton Community Grant to supply us with capital equipment such as a computer, printer, phones and other office supplies. We will keep you posted. There are some first interviews for the Administrative Coordinator Consultant on Monday.

HSH Shared Living Corp AGM

Tonight I attended the Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corp's AGM in Oakville together with Ruth Parkinson and Bob Walker from Home Suite Home Milton. The AGM took place in the training room of Royal Lepage in Oakville with food generously donated by Boston Pizza who will have a forthcoming fundraiser. A very professional looking first ever annual report was presented. Congratulations. The annual report includes a report from Janice Moro, Executive Director on the four key strategic issues together with the 7 strategies to address them. Glen Herring (Chair), Bill McLeod, Janice Moro and Lisa Somers presented during the 30 minute AGM. Recognition was made to the incorporation achieved by our new Milton Transitional Housing Corp.

Dwight Lacey interview HSH Oakville

This is an interview with Dwight Lacey a board member and original co-founder of Home Suite Hope in Oakville. Dwight's vision was for Home Suite Hope to always expand beyond just Oakville. He discussed the homeless need with us yesterday at the 5th Empty Bowls event in Oakville. Click link http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhere to YouTube

Oakville Empty Bowls success

Interview with Dorothy Byers, Head of School at St Mildred's-Lightbourn School

Todays's Empty Bowls at St Mildred's Lightbourn School in Oakville was astonishing in so many respects.

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There was an overwhelming number of people who came out to support the event as well as sponsors. The engagement of the school was a stroke of genius. Here is an interview with Dorothy Byers the headmistress describing why this was important to the school and how the kids became engaged. I have more video and more photos to post. The kids busked in the corridors, painted bowls, created mock-up cardboard shelters and plaques describing a homeless person's story and facts about homelessness in Halton. The local MP also attended. Congratulations to the school and the vast organisation from the Home Suite Hope organisation and planning committee. Spectacular event.

Minority Ontario government creates opportunity to bring in much-needed four-point housing plan

Minority Ontario government creates opportunity to bring in much-needed four-point housing plan

Empty Bowls in Oakville this Sunday 12-3pm

Don't forget to support the Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corp Empty Bowls. This is the original Oakville Home Suite Hope organisation and our supporters for our own transitional housing solution in Milton. It takes place at St Mildred's Lightbourn School in Oakville from noon-3pm

Administrative Coordinator Consultant applications

We are pleased to report that we have so far had 6 quality applications for this position to work 30 hours a month to support the goals of this project as a consultant. Interviews will be taking place shorly.

Deloitte

Deloitte recently held a brainstorming session on volunteerism and fundraising to assist both Home Suite Hope Milton and Home Suite Hope Shared Living Corp. The exact value of the benefit in kind is estimated to be worth in excess of $25,000. Both Home Suite Hope teams were appreciatiative of the strategic thinking and insights that Deloitte's team based in Burlington were able to offer. Thank you. We encourage you individually to support these transitional housing projects.

St Paul's thank you

Home Suite Hope Milton would like to thank St Paul's United Church on Main Street East for their latest donation to support this project.

Happy Thanksgiving

An amazing weekend to be out. I hope our learn to kayakers were out on the water this weekend. I looked out for you all on Kelso this afternoon. Here is a photo of Lake Huron in Goderich - amazing weather for October.

Sadly, invisible people reports that 300 homeless out on streets as Seattle shelters are forced to close.

Our Home Suite Hope steering rgoup meet tomorrow night to progress our charitable status

A Christmas Carol fundraising

A dramatic reading of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" will be held at Southside Community Church on Friday December 9th, including Jim Curran, from CBC Radio and performers from the Milton Players Theatre Group. Mark your calendars. Proceeds will go to the Home Suite Hope Milton project.

Milton Transitional Housing Corp nominations

We are have five nominations for Directors of Milton Transitional Housing Corp. Three individuals have been founding members of the Hope Suite Hope Milton transitional housing project steering group as part of MACCWT. They are Lorna Turner, Ruth Parkinson and Bob Walker. Joining them are two new members of the team; ex-local councillor Wendy Schau and social worker Kathryn Gibb. They will be supported by myself and Carol Atkinson who have been part of the HSH-M steering group as well as MACCWT have fostered the project. This is yet to be voted upon and ratified.

Signed lease

We are pleased to announce that we have a signed 1st lease until June 2013. We are searching for a first individual or family at risk of homelessness in Milton.

10,000 page views

Wow! Thank you so much. We have now had 10,000 page views in the exactly 3 years since this blog started and more amazing is that 5,000 of those page views have been in the last six months. This tells me the Milton community really are accepting and supporting those in our community at risk of homelessness. Thank you for your support for Home Suite Hope Milton (Milton Transitional Housing Corp.)

Community Development Halton (CDH) funding

It appears the Region will maintain a budget of $240,000 for Community Development Halton in 2012. One aspect of their work is researching and publishing reports on the state of poverty in Halton. The potential for budget cuts was reported in the Champion yesterday. One of those interviewed indicated that the work of CDH was essential to direct us to address the poor in Halton. I do not entirely agree as the formation of Home Suite Hope Milton has now proven. We did not wait for direction from the Region on homelessness in Milton, we saw it for ourselves and decided that we had a personal responsibility to act.

I love President Obama's comment about Steve jobs this week; that he was "brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it"

Join in the spirit of giving at Empty Bowls 2011 - October 16th - Oakville

Our partner organisation, the original Home Suite Hope based in Oakville have their Empty Bowls which will be helf at the St Mildred's Lightbourn School, Oakville on Sunday Oct 16th 12-3pm. Their goal is to sell 700 tickets at $55 each.

Local solutions to local homelessness

For more information contact jules@homesuitehope.org or visit their website www.homesuitehope.org

First Habitat for Humanity for Milton

The Champion report that Mattamy Homes will be breaking ground this November for the first Habitat for Humanity home to be built in Milton. Mattamy have donated the land for the 1150 square foot home. The family must meet certain criteria of being working poor or in poverty paying more than 30% of net income to rent and must contribute 500 hours to the building of the home. Anne Swarbrick, executive director at Habitat for Humanity states that 6% of households in Milton live below the poverty line based on 2006 census stats.

Incorporation

We have been successful in obtaining incorporation status for Milton Transitional Housing Corp. which is the legal name of Home Suite Hope Milton. This incorporation is important to us as it now enables us to apply for charitable status and move out from the umbrella so generously extended to us by MACCWT. Another milestone. Well done team.

SNAP Milton coverage of 'Learn to Kayak' fundraiser

SNAP Milton has posted coverage of the 'Learn to Kayak' organised by Mississauga Canoe Club in support of Home Suite Hope Milton. Follow the link to see the article and picture. Click here