When Jessica Gateman walked through the doors of Home Horizon’s Barbara Weider house in 2017, she had no idea how much the organization would change the trajectory of her life.
In 2017, Home Horizon offered transitional housing for both women and children.
“I’m sitting here in my executive chef chair, thanks to Home Horizon,” Gateman told CollingwoodToday.ca.
Gateman was 27 years old when she first came to the Barbara Weider House, seeking help to recover from an addiction to alcohol, life-long experience in abusive relationships, and a housing situation where she was couch-surfing.
“I had life struggles. It left me homeless. I arrived in Collingwood in 2017 and my cousin suggested to me that I should look into a transition house,” said Gateman. “I needed the medical help. That started with having a safe place to go to sleep.”
“That first night that I arrived there and I rested my head, I felt peace,” she said.
Having a place to shelter gave Gateman a sense of relief. She didn’t have to worry about where she was going to sleep at night or how she was going to afford her next meal. She was able to work at getting her life in order, which included getting help for her addiction, applying for government ID, getting a job, getting her GED and making preparations to find her own place to call home.
“It wasn’t easy, because I was in survival mode,” she said. “It was a whole mix of emotions.”
After a year and a half of support through Home Horizon and some help from Empower Simcoe, Gateman received the keys to her own apartment.
“It was amazing. With that apartment and help from Empower Simcoe, it made me become an independent woman and I could work on myself,” she said.
She was able to then go to college and got a job in her field as a chef.
Home Horizon continues to help people like Gateman thanks to donations from the community and funds raised through annual events.
Registration is now open for the 2022 iteration of the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk, which will take place virtually on Feb. 26. Collingwood and South Georgian Bay will be walking in support of Home Horizon and the Barbara Weider House for youth at risk for homelessness.
Steven Pelletier, executive director of Home Horizon, says this year’s fundraising goal for the Coldest Night of the Year two or five-kilometre walk is $125,000. In 2021, Collingwood was the fourth-highest fundraising community in Canada for Coldest Night of the Year, bringing in about $193,000.
Pelletier says this was the largest amount ever raised in Collingwood through the fundraiser, and it accounts for about a third of Home Horizon’s annual budget.
“In my opinion, this event is really about community. This has a big impact on our organization and operations,” said Pelletier. “Those boots on the ground directly correlates to our ability to provide these services,” he said.
Home Horizon’s Barbara Weider transition house is one of many services Home Horizon provides, which recently expanded to offer 10 beds for at-risk youth. Eligibility for the program relies on a number of factors that point to the severity of need, as the program has a wait list.
They also offer family mediation, counselling and life-skills programs.
In 2020, they officially launched Your S.A.F.E. Outreach Program with the help of funding from United Way. In 2021 alone, that program served 75 individuals total, creating safety plans for 41 individuals. About 38 individuals received employment, education, physical or mental health supports. The total service interactions through outreach in 2021 was 1,028.
“It complements our services because while people are on our wait list, and some who aren’t, but are moving around...we’re able to follow them,” said Pelletier. “It also gives us a glimpse of the needs in our community.”
This year, Gateman is celebrating being five years sober. She now works as an executive chef at Raglan Village Retirement Community and runs her own small catering company on the side. She does charity galas to give back to the community, and has volunteered her time back to Home Horizon to run cooking classes for youth that use their services.
“It’s so amazing! Home Horizon was the foundation for my success. If I hadn’t had that shelter, I would have continued my life in survival mode,” said Gateman.
“The impact of helping these kids will forever change their lives. It’s been my experience. It gives them a chance,” she said.
To register or donate to a Collingwood team, visit the Coldest Night of the Year website here.
