Vancouver shelter group raising money to facilitate transitions into homes

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s been a sharp increase in gender-based violence during the pandemic, according to a Vancouver organization that says more people are being turned away from shelters that have hit capacity.

That’s why the Bloom Group, which has been running shelters and other services on the Downtown Eastside for the last 60 years, is asking for extra help to get vulnerable people into housing sooner than later.

The group is working to make the transition out of shelters and into a home easier for those in need through a Transition Fund.

Lanna Many Grey Horses, the interim director of Women’s and Children’s Service, says some people are reluctant to make the move into housing without essentials that make a place a home.

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“So they would stay with us a bit longer and we thought, how can we transition this quicker for them and make them feel more safe, secure, and comfortable?” she explained.

That’s where the Transition Fund comes in. The Bloom group is hoping to raise $50,000 for things like furniture, mattresses, and kitchen appliances to help people in their move.

“You are isolating and you don’t have the equipment to make yourself a tea or make yourself something to eat, or to sit somewhere comfortable. I mean, that would be awful. It’s like, my bed’s on the floor, I may have a milk crate for a seating area,” added Many Grey Horses, noting a number of the things they are hoping to buy are things many people take for granted.

She says COVID-19 has also meant more social isolation, making the need for an adequate personal space even more important.

In an effort to raise more money for the Transition Fund, the Bloom Group is holding a virtual fundraising event on Oct. 21.