Lunch goers in Steinbach helped raise thousands of dollars Wednesday for Steinbach Community Outreach.

This week's Taste of Summer Charity BBQ in downtown Steinbach was in support of Steinbach Community Outreach. Office Manager Charlene Kroeker says they raised $4,845.25.

"That is absolutely amazing," says Kroeker.

She notes this money means they can continue to keep their drop-in centre open. It also provides them with the necessary means to continue with their programming. 

Steinbach Community Outreach, located at 345 Loewen Boulevard, is there to assist people experiencing poverty and a lack of housing. It seeks to accomplish this by meeting essential needs such as food, shelter, clothing and relationships. 

But, Kroeker says they are also often called upon to help someone obtain ID, noting that without proper identification, there is a series of events that cannot happen.

"If you don't have ID, it means you can't get a bank account," explains Kroeker. "If you don't have a bank account then you can't get onto assistance. "And if you can't get onto assistance, it means you can't pay your rent and you can't obtain housing."

She notes it can take several months to fully transition a person who has absolutely nothing, not even ID, to get them into a place and live on their own independently. 

Meanwhile, the team at Steinbach Community Outreach says that while the number of homeless people in Steinbach is certainly increasing, the difference might not be as great as one might think. The difference is that the homeless population is now much more visible than it once was. 

 

With files from Michelle Sawatzky

 

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