7 Days of Giving

“As we developed our latest strategic plan, one message came through loud and clear from staff across our programs: there is a profound lack of recovery housing and meaningful pathways out of supportive housing. 

For decades, Cool Aid has been a trusted housing provider in our community. We’ve seen firsthand what people need to stabilize, heal, and move forward, and we understand that recovery doesn’t end when treatment does. Yet many people who are ready for change are met with long wait times for recovery services, sometimes weeks or months. And for those who do complete detox or treatment, returning directly to supportive housing, without substance-free aftercare, can put their recovery at significant risk.

Substance-free housing with supports is the missing link. By creating recovery-oriented housing, we can now offer a true continuum of housing, one that honours people’s progress, supports long-term recovery, and creates movement within the system. This means freeing up supportive housing units for people currently experiencing homelessness, while giving those leaving treatment a real chance to succeed.”

“The main meal each day reflects our commitment to providing healthy, nutritious food. Each dish should be satisfying enough to carry them to their next meal and we aim for every menu item to tell a story…bringing residents back to simpler, happier times.

At mealtime, clients line up with anticipation. It becomes a shared dinner table of sorts, where they see one another, exchange stories, and reminisce about the memories the dishes evoke. Many look forward to meals not only for the food, but for the opportunity to connect with others.”

“Recently, we’ve observed a troubling rise in health concerns among our residents, largely driven by the poisoned drug supply across North America. These issues include overdoses leading to hypoxic brain injury, slowed blood flow causing ulcers, and other serious complications. For many tenants, housing is only the start of their journey toward health—ongoing medical support is essential.

Cool Aid’s mobile health clinic visits have already made a considerable difference, providing much-needed wound care and health monitoring directly at our housing sites. These consistent, accessible healthcare services have saved lives and improved recovery outcomes.  

The opening of the Dr. Joe Centre at Crosstown will further strengthen this support network, ensuring tenants receive prompt, respectful care in a non-stigmatizing environment.

Our message is clear: housing alone isn’t enough. Healthcare must be integrated into the support system we provide to truly foster health and stability for our residents.”

“Maintaining Cool Aid’s buildings takes more than technical skill — it takes compassion. Being part of Cool Aid’s maintenance team is a unique job because we work directly in the homes of people who have experienced emotional trauma, physical trauma, and substance use.

When we look past the stigma surrounding homelessness, the actual maintenance becomes the easy part. What really matters is how we show up for the people who live in our buildings. Sometimes something as simple as a smile or a “Hey, how’s your day going?” can completely shift someone’s outlook. Knowing that reminds me that the work we do genuinely makes a difference in our community.

Our role is important because we show people — many of whom feel forgotten by society — that they are cared for. By maintaining safe, clean, and respectful spaces, we remind our tenants that they deserve dignity and stability. I truly believe that this helps people recognize that greater possibilities exist for them each day.”

“Compassion is the wish to see others free from suffering.” – Dalai Lama

“An essential part of what we do is having programming specific for our First Nations residents. It’s important for our people to have space to be themselves—no expectations, no pressure—just to be. Weekly on the Pandora Block we have lunch/art. It’s an opportunity for residents to relax, have food, draw, paint, read  or whatever they’re comfortable doing, including just enjoying lunch.

Last holiday season we made gingerbread houses. One participant used a paper plate and created a winter scene with a snowman in a colorful environment; he used two large feathers to surround the figure. He proudly gifted it to the program to be displayed in our Family Room . 

As First Nations people we are often shamed for our mere existence—put down by family and society, a direct result of residential schools. The jobs of the caretakers, teachers, etc. was to take the culture out of the child; a culture that adored and loved our little ones—a village full of people who would care for each other in loving ways.

The fact that a First Nations person has the courage to come into our space and create, let alone display it, is a huge step. Having a safe, exclusive space is essential to help with the healing that will slowly happen. Gilakasla”

“Mental health care and the counselling support we provide through Cool Aid is an important part of wellness for our clients because it allows them time, and a safe space, to process and work through some of the most challenging circumstances. 

Poverty, housing insecurity, substance use, physical injuries, and health challenges are difficult enough to deal with one at a time, but many of our clients are experiencing these things all at once. Listening to and witnessing the suffering that people are experiencing, and helping them make meaning of their lives given these circumstances, can help them understand how they’ve responded in the past and the direction they would like to move towards in the future. 

I consider it a privilege to be able to sit with people and share the stories of their lives.”

“Providing trauma-informed care at our clinic is essential as it means that necessary treatment is more likely to be carried out. Our patients can become easily triggered, given some of their past experiences and the hardship that they’ve faced; if they’re confronted  with feelings of  being judged (many of our patients can feel embarrassed by the state of their oral health) or they feel unseen, they’ll leave and often won’t come back, even though they have extensive work that needs to be done.

We had a patient come in recently who had initially been to another clinic for care, but he hadn’t felt welcomed or comfortable in the culture or environment set by the clinic, so he left and came to us.  Our staff do such an exceptional job of meeting patients where they’re at, that the chances of having treatment carried out and committing to ongoing care are much greater”.