Where the MTH story began - Canadian Champion

"Homelessness on the rise" 

This was the headline on the September 12, 2008 Milton Canadian Champion which stimulated both this blog and ultimately what became Milton Transitional Housing.

The Champion has graciously provided us permission to include that defining front page on our new website. Their current editor, Catherine O'Hara and I met this morning to chat about this journey.

It is a thrill for all of us involved to see the charity expand to help those at risk of homelessness in our community. The need is real and growing. You are enabling us to make a difference. It has had a profound effect on those people supported through the program.

The new Milton Transitional Housing website is anticipated at the end of June.  It will explore the story of how MTH came about, including the strong sustained support of the Champion.

Image reproduced courtesy of Milton Canadian Champion

"MTH has brought back the light of inspiration to me"

This is the inspiration message from a Milton Mom, reported in the Milton Canadian Champion. The Mom attributes getting herself and son back on their feet to Milton Transitional Housing.

The story by Julie Slack, a reporter at the Milton Canadian Champion, is so incredibly uplifting to all those with the foresight and passion to establish Milton Transitional Housing. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and all those involved, those who have volunteered and supported in any way should feel very proud ...and perhaps a little tearful.

Read the Kathy's story here.

Thank you to Kathy, Julie, Donna for bringing us this moving piece and inspiring message.

The Canadian Champion story also presents facts about homelessness in Milton and encourages us to participate in the amazing Coldest Night of the Year walk on Saturday February 20th.

To register now go to https://coldestnightoftheyear.org/location/milton.

Inspiring Housing... Our Future forum

The first Milton Transitional Housing (MTH) forum titled HOUSING... OUR FUTURE was a wonderful exploration from multiple agencies on the need for affordable housing solutions in both Milton and across Canada. There is a clear gap with a 0.5% rental vacancy rate in Milton.

"75% of those affected by homelessness have children under 18"

said keynote speaker Brain Carney, CEO of Blue Sea Philanthropy.

Carney gave a very personal, open, honest account of his journey. He gave multiple examples demonstrating that this is a Canadian wide issue. "Money invested in housing solutions is better", he stated. "You are not alone. Other people are bothered too... Housing matters".

The forum including a distinguished group of panelists that included Alyssa Gremmen Program Manager of the POSSE project, social worker Jason Palmer from MTH, Melissa Hillier Client Services Supervisor at Halton Women's Place described how they had to turn away more than 400 women last year due to lack of capacity, Amber Armstrong Employment Support Worker at Community Living Burlington outlined the special work of Housing Alternatives Network Directive (HAND) supporting those families with developmental needs, and Maureen Andrews from Toronto Regional Police Service where she is Regional Controller for Commande. Andrews reflected;

"Helping one person at a time is really rewarding"

The work of these agencies, including Milton Transitional Housing is making a difference. Four people have now formally graduated from Milton Transitional Housing and achieved independent living. In these four years, MTH has helped 9 adults and 7 children, including those currently in the program. Carney's own perception is that MTH has "been punching above its weight and age".

Blue Sea Philanthropy are the charitable organization, based in Kitchener, behind the Coldest Night of the Year event. The date for the 2016 Coldest Night was also announced - February 20th, 2016. Tell your friends, family and community.

The forum was made possible through the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant. Congratulations to Donna Danielle for an excellent job hosting the speakers and the wider communication team and volunteers on such an important and well run event.

Look out for further coverage in the Milton Canadian Champion. There will also be a Charity Spotlight about Blue Sea Philanthropy on the Opencityinc.com blog in the coming weeks. You can review more from the forum by search #MTHforum2015 on Twitter. According to Hashtracking.com this created 27,000 impressions on Twitter.

Truly honoured

The Milton Transitional Housing summer newsletter included a great compliment about this blog. Thank you MTH.

JOHN’S BLOG: One gem that continues to provide information about the housing sector and MTH in particular is Milton Transitional Housing’s blog written by one of the organizations founders, John Gregory. The blog can be found at http://www.miltontransitionalhousing.ca/MTHBlog.aspx or http://homelessinmiltonontario.blogspot.ca

I am sure many of you understand the history behind this blog, which since it started in 2008 and which has now had almost 29,000 views. So to all of you, a big thank you.

Here is the first ever bog post:

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Canadian Champion Sept 12
The front page story of the Canadian Champion on September 12, 2008 was titled "Homelessness on the rise". It was a special to the Champion by Ryan Bolton. Under the front page photograph reads "With Halton's homeless population on the rise, a lack of shelters in the region is forcing many to seek a place to sleep in cities such as Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto". Visit www.miltoncanadianchampion.com. Well done Champion and Ryan for printing this article on the front page.

Empty Bowls media coverage

It is great to see Milton Transitional Housing's 5th annual Empty Bowls covered in both SNAP Milton and the Milton Canadian Champion. Thanks to both and other media for your coverage.

SNAP Milton reports that 150 Milton residents and their families attended this Empty Bowls. MTH reported they had raised in the region of $7,500. The Milton Canadian Champion have long been strong supporters for what became Milton Transitional Housing since our early beginnings in 2008. You may also recall that it was their own homelessness front page headline that stimulated a small band of us to act in the first place.

Fabulous turnout for 4th Empty Bowls

There was a fabulous turnout for today's Empty Bowls event run by Milton Transitional Housing (MTH) in the MinMaxx Hall of Milton Centre for the Arts. The bowls were stunning and the soups delicious.

New MTH Executive Director, Donna Danielli, expressed her gratitude to the volunteers, sponsor but mostly to the those of the members of the community who came out to support this important fourth Empty Bowls annual event. Important, because with the original Ontario Trillium Foundation funding having come to an end the organisation is ever more reliant of the Empty Bowls or other fundraising events like Coldest Night of the Year to enable MTH to meet its commitment to clients in need and achieve its objectives.

We were pleased to see Ted Chudleigh, Indira Naidoo-Harris and other local politicians and councilors again supporting this event helping our own community. There were several members of the media present, including the Milton Villager and Milton Champion so look out for coverage over the coming weeks.

It was announced that last month's Coldest Night of the Year event raised $43,000 which will result in income to MTH of around $33,000. I will share the outcome of this Empty Bowls event as soon as possible. The MTH Board will soon be preparing their next grant submission to help MTH continue to grow. The organisation has expanded its horizons with the intent to 3 more units through 2014 and gradually increase to 13 units in the next 5 years. This is amazing given where we were in 2008.

For those of us who have been there from the start and the 1st Empty Bowls is a truly thrilling to see how the event has grown and the organisation prospered to become and establish part of the Milton community landscape. The first client is graduating from the prgram meaning we will soon be able to help a new client or family.

There are so many sponsors and volunteers to thank as well as the cooperation of the Milton Centre for the Arts staff. The Event Sponsor was Prosperity One, Empty Bowls Host Sponsor and our Platinum Sponsor is MinMaxx. Simply Creative again donated the bowls which had been hand decorated by volunteers. We thank our Silver sponsor U-Need Storage, Ads at Work Media Sponsor and all the other local businesses who donated soup or food. See the Milton Transitional Housing website or Facebook page.

Living in Poverty - A Special Report

In last week's Milton Canadian Champion is an article about the impacts of poverty in our affluent community. It is the first of a series of four special reports in to Living in Poverty in Halton. It discusses the findings of the Halton Poverty Roundtable and Halton Region report. Discovering the Hidden Poor in Halton is a four-part Metroland series examining the complex issue of poverty in the affluent region’s communities. The series examines those who find themselves struggling to survive and who face deprivation, exclusion and isolation as a result. The series looks at poverty’s multiple dimensions, those who deal with it on a daily basis, contributing factors and barriers, possible solutions and resources that can offer assistance. I commend the Champion for this important special series. The 2nd in the Living in Poverty series will be: When Poverty Hits Home will share the stories of those who are living in poverty in Halton. It is great to see the increase in the commentary and evidence being discussed in recent years.

Milton Canadian Champion article - February 13th

Milton Transitional Housing is again in the Milton Canadian Champion, whose support we really appreciate. The article starts "Two struggling families will have a little more stability thanks to Milton Transitional Housing (MTH). The not-for-profit group, which provides accommodations, support and counseling for people who are in a housing crisis until they can secure long-term affordable housing, recently secured two townhouses." Click this link to the full Inside Halton - Milton Canadian Champion article "Transitional Housing group finds home for two families". There is a great quote from both Ruth Parkinson and Wendy Schau about the success and progression of the transitional hosuing project. The article also highlights the forthcoming events which further help build awareness and raise funds for helping those at risk of homelessness in Milton Casa Americo on Main Street will host a wine-tasting benefit for MTH on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. A $5 cover charge includes wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres. MTH will hold its annual Empty Bowls Soup Lunch on Sunday, Mar. 17 from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the MinMaxx Hall at the Milton Centre for the Arts. Tickets cost $50 and include a taste-as-many-as-you-like gourmet soup lunch prepared by Milton restaurants and caterers. For more information visit www.miltontransitionalhousing.ca.