Our Mission
Situated in the heart of the Village, St-James Drop-In Centre offers a safe and supportive meeting ground for people marginalized by their experience of homelessness, mental health and addiction. Our mission is to create a co-supportive community. Our goal is that the community we create becomes a catalyst for creativity, compassion and empathy.
Our History
On October 1985, the St-James Drop-In Centre began. Initially situated on the third floor of St. James United Church, the centre has catered to people experiencing issues related to homelessness, mental health concerns and addition.
Now located in the heart of the Village, the centre tends to the needs of our members by offering nutritious meals, access to showers, and clean clothes. We also provide counselling, crisis intervention, monitoring of medication and assistance with welfare. Our team works with members in order to secure housing opportunities, accompaniment to important appointments as well as acting as collaborating with outside agencies such as legal services, hospitals, CLSCs, and detox centres.
The Drop-In takes part in Emploi Québec’s Social Integration Measure, INSO, a provincial government-subsidized program which reintegrates participants into the workforce. Capable members of the centre are given the opportunity to develop their social and work skills with part-time employment opportunities on site.
Through our partnerships, St-James also serves as a valuable resource for student teachers, medical interns and social workers in training by offering internship positions and professional development programs.
In the common spaces of our facilities, our community members are free in deciding how they wish to spend their time. Coffee is always served and our daily guests are free to borrow books from our library, use the telephone, play games and music or explore creative art practices in our well-stocked creative art room.
We invite members of diverse identities and lived experiences to define safety and compassion collectively as a whole. If you are a prospective member or wish to participate in the support of our program, we welcome you to the home we are building together.
