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The Men’s Hostel Program provides overnight shelter and supports the well-being of men in the Christie Ossington Community who are homeless, street-oriented and facing mental health issues, addictions, unemployment and other barriers to maintaining adequate housing. With a nightly capacity of 45, The Hostel provided shelter and assistance for 1,290 men in 2005/6. Men arrive at the hostel in the midst of extremely difficult life circumstances, coping with newcomer and refugee displacement issues, mental heath issues, inadequate health care, recent release from detox and other treatment centres, lack of education and employable skills among other circumstances. Many arrive with little hope of finding the stable, safe employment they need to lead healthy, productive lives.

 Many of the hostel’s clients have spent years living on the street, subjecting their bodies to serious abuse and neglect.

Often this is the first priority for hostel workers; administering first aid and beginning the slow process of instilling or re-instilling healthy self-care. Men are provided with two home-cooked, communal meals per day on-site in addition to a packed lunch. The Men’s Hostel hosted 4 special holiday meals in 2005/6, providing seasonal dishes and a much-needed feeling of home for hostel clients. One of the most important roles of men’s hostel workers during 2005/6 was advocacy.

Many under-housed and homeless men, for a wide variety of reasons, have no one to advocate on their behalf with regards to employment and housing, preventing them from pursuing positive life changes. Hostel clients were encouraged to participate in program projects such as on-site gardening and to communicate closely with hostel workers in order to build the rapport necessary to provide strong references for employers and landlords.

The Men’s Hostel works in partnership with Street Helpline, the City of Toronto and other service providers to create a communicative, supportive network for men in need of housing and other supports. A housing worker assists men in seeking housing after they have stabilized their health and they work with hostel staff to initiate positive direction for their lives. Unique opportunities provided to clients of the Men’s Hostel in 2005/6 included mask-making with artist Pamela Schuller, community gardening, workshops Volunteers play an integral role in the ongoing operation of the Men’s Hostel, contributing over 7,200 hours of service each year through kitchen and hostel duties, maintenance and special projects. Allan Cullen and Tenzin Lhundup are well deserving of special mention this year, as both have given over 2000 hours of service to the hostel since 2001. They spend their Friday afternoons assisting with the meal program or spending quality time talking to hostel clients. One volunteer stated simply the beautiful logic behind many helping hands, “You give back to the community that gave you your first start in this country as a refugee.”