Our Mission

Shelter House provides basic needs, dignity and comfort to people living in poverty and stimulates action to address the root causes of homelessness.

About SHELTER HOUSE THUNDER BAY

Shelter House is proud to call Rotary Shelter House, located at 420 George St., it's new home. The shelter was built with the tremendous support of our caring community and opened its doors on September 25, 2006.

Shelter House Thunder Bay acts as a lifeline for hundreds of men, women, youth and their families who are struggling to have their basic needs met. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, this emergency shelter responds to the needs of those living in poverty by providing shelter, food, clothing and access to resources to support their transition toward successful independent living.

In a year, Shelter House helps over 2,000 people find affordable housing, provides over 13,000 nights of safe shelter and feeds the hungry 190,000 times. To do this, Shelter House relies on the generous support from its community members and partner organizations.

Street Outreach Services (SOS)

The SOS Team, which is a highly trained, skilled team of compassionate people, are out on the road everyday. This team works in teams of two from 2PM - 2AM daily, offering their services to homeless, intoxicated and high risk people in our community. The team answers calls from individuals, businesses, emergency service providers and other agencies. These calls can be made by anyone who wants to help people move to a safer, warmer location better suited to their needs.

The SOS team works closely with many agencies in the community including the Thunder Bay Police, Emergency Services, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Balmoral Withdrawal Management Centre to ensure prompt access to services that people may need. External referrals to SOS are mainly from the Emergency Department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (32%), the business community (25%), and Thunder Bay Police Services (17%).