The John Howard Society is defending its Bridgewater drop-in centre amid a call from the mayor for it to relocate.
Mayor David Mitchell told CBC News last week there are concerns in the community about violence, drug use and loitering around Cedar Place, which offers support to people from the area who are struggling.
“It’s important for folks to know that we’re here to provide the basic services to our clients and help them to build a path forward to recovery and stability,” Sean Kelly, the director of strategic projects for the society, told CBC’s Information Morning on Thursday.
Kelly said steps are being taken to address community concerns.
“We’ve hired additional security staff who work on duty from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. and they’re there to help address issues such as folks congregating on the sidewalks, sometimes very unintentionally blocking pedestrian traffic, but they’re encouraged to kind of move along,” Kelly said.
“We’ve built a gazebo in the backyard and so our clients prefer to actually go on our property than to the gazebo across the street. where they perhaps sometimes feel sometimes a little bit less welcome.”
Information Morning – NS8:13John Howard Society says it would be a mistake to close Bridgewater drop-in centre
The mayor of Bridgewater wants a drop-in centre in his town to close. We hear from the John Howard Society, which operates the centre, about the ongoing tension and what they are trying to do to help those struggling in the area.
Kelly said clients at Cedar Place are concerned about calls for the centre to close.
“They’re worried that if we’re forced out of town, if we’re forced to close, that they’ll be left on their own without the support that many of them desperately need,” Kelly said.
“Again, because of the support we offer, we’re actually contributing to community safety not detracting from it, and I think that’s the important thing to remember.”
Some of the support Cedar Place offers includes access to warm meals, hair cuts and employment services, Kelly said.
“I believe we’re doing a great job,” Kelly said.
Mayor David Mitchell responded to Kelly’s Information Morning interview in a post on social media. In it, he said he took issue with “this false belief that their presence in the community is a help rather than a hindrance.”
“To me, the interview came across as the [John Howard Society] victim shaming the community for raising their concerns.”
The mayor’s post goes through questions and answers from the interview and adds his own response. In response to Kelly saying he believes Cedar Place is doing a great job he wrote: “I’m curious as to what metric is being used to consider something ‘a great job.'”
