Compassion Hub prepares to close its doors

One of the city’s most sought-out resources for people struggling with mental illness, homelessness, and malnourishment is closing its doors on Gore Street at the end of the month.

Since 2019, the Compassion Hub has been serving community members struggling with addictions, mental health, homelessness, and financial setbacks.

Led by nurses Donna De Simon and her daughter Angie, the hub’s dedicated team of volunteers was supposed to move into the former Neighbourhood Resource Centre across the street from their current location in August.

But in July, their once-future home was broken into, occupied, and essentially left destroyed – forcing the building owners to board up the building.

The conditions of that building are now too poor for the team to transfer over their operations, and there’s no indication of when the out-of-town owners will have the building back up to appropriate standards.

Simultaneously, the pawnshop owner next to the Compassion Hub will be using the De Simons’ current space to expand his store before the Christmas season as agreed upon, leaving the Compassion Hub team with no place to provide resources for at-risk community members starting Nov. 1.

To suggest the mother and daughter are devastated would be a huge understatement.

“Some people don’t understand how much we do here,” Angie De Simon says. “I don’t know where these people are going to go.”

“We need this too,” Donna De Simon adds. “It’s a labour of love, and it gives us a purpose. It becomes part of you. Our volunteers are going to have trouble walking away too.”

Upwards of 60 people walk through the Compassion Hub every day, relying on the hub for food, clothing, and shelter.

On top of those basic resources, the hub has been working with at-risk residents to help them find housing, locate treatment sources, and teach them life skills.

Angie De Simon says there are many misconceptions about the Compassion Hub, including the kinds of people they actually serve.

“It’s about our seniors that come in that have no food security,” she says. “Their pension is paying their rent right now, so they come in here every day to eat. What are they going to do? This is where my stomach feels sick. They’re not substance abusers, they’re not homeless, but they’re in that demographic where they have nothing – so they come here, every single day.”

The De Simons recognize they can’t move to a downtown location as it would pose risks to neighbouring businesses and that the location on Gore Street across the road from them was virtually their only viable option for a new home.

And as the months begin to get colder, their fear for their clients’ well-being has amplified.

“This is when they need us the most,” Donna De Simon says. “In the winter, we put out gravity chairs and blankets so they can come in and get warm.”

“We’re going to have a huge problem this winter,” Angie adds.

While the situation feels hopeless, the De Simons remain positive.

“We’re hoping for a miracle,” Donna says. “We’re not going to give up.”

The Compassion Hub will still be hosting its annual Thanksgiving dinner on Monday, Oct. 10, followed by a paint night on Oct. 11 at Shooters Downstairs Lounge.