Shelter to Home was launched in 2008 to provide furniture and household goods for a client from the North Shore Lookout Shelter. Initially all our clients came from Lookout, but in 2021 that number has fallen to 16 clients, which represents 10% of the Shelter to Home clients.

In November we were delighted to hear that Lookout had been given an unfurnished, 5 bedroom, 2 living room home. We were approached to provide all the furnishing for that home. Over a 4 week period our donors, from our Web Site, Facebook Page, the NeighbourNextDoor app, and Highlands United Church, did not disappoint us. Chests of drawers, beds, sofas, easy chairs, TVs, bedding , dishes, pots and pans all flooded into our storage. Picture 5 beds, 5 dressers, 3 couches, 12 lamps leaving our storage on one day. When the Lookout team came in a moving truck to pick everything up, it wouldn’t all fit in the truck. Subsequent trips have been scheduled, on sunny days with an open pick-up truck, to complete the move. Five men, age 55+ are now living in a lovely home. What a privilege it is to assist Lookout where it all started.

Our last client of 2021, “Bob” had been a guest at Lookout for 6 months. With the help of the staff he was able to address his addiction, get a job, save money, and buy a second hand vehicle. He has been employed and “clean” for 5 months and now has an apartment of his own. Shelter to Home was able to provide everything he needed for a 1 bedroom apartment. Bob was full of gratitude for the assistance Lookout had given him during a difficult period of his life. More than once, as he chose his furniture and household goods, he said, “This is overwhelming. I can’t get over that you guys are giving me so much”. His gratitude was palpable as he drove away, on two occasions, with his SUV packed to the roof, and tied onto the roof rack. This is good work we do.