Concerned about a neighbourhood issue?

Here’s where to turn for help

In the past year, both the Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) and the Glebe Community Association (GCA) have received concerns from community members and businesses about panhandling, people going through blue bins and people sleeping outside. It is important to remember that we share the public spaces in our neighbourhood with others in our city, even if they can’t afford to live here, and to be as welcoming as possible. This dynamic is part of living close to downtown in a large city, and makes our neighbourhood a more diverse and interesting place. The vast majority of people are friendly, eager to chat and have wonderful stories to share if you get to know them, even if they don’t fit a typical “Glebite” stereotype. However, we also recognize that these interactions can sometimes lead to uncomfortable situations, which residents are sometimes not sure how to handle.

Fortunately, there are some excellent resources in our city, which you can contact for support for yourself or someone in the neighbourhood you are concerned about. Centretown Community Health Centre has developed the following infographic to offer a few nearby resources and have generously shared it with us. There are of course many other resources throughout the city that can be found with an internet search or by calling 211. If you are concerned or want advice about a specific situation, you can also contact the GCA Health and Social Services Committee at health@glebeca.ca.

If you are particularly concerned about an issue, all of these resources are non-profit and community driven, and they would appreciate your financial or volunteer support to be able to increase the services they offer to folks in our city.

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