When your mission is to help people, how do you choose which ones not to help when money is tight?
That’s the scenario The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation is facing as 2017 winds down. With its operating and contingency funds rapidly depleting and faced with the prospect of few dollars coming in during what have historically been slow fundraising months at the start of the year, The Table has issued an urgent plea for help to the Huntsville community. It is looking for $275,000 in donations, without which the organization’s board has said it will be forced to close the men’s shelter — its most expensive service — in order to preserve The Table’s other services including its food bank, soup kitchen, and community kitchen.
It’s a lot of money, acknowledges The Table’s CEO Heather Berg. Here’s how she says the numbers break down.
The Table currently has about $39,000 in its operating fund and $60,000 in a contingency fund, says Berg. Its monthly expenses average $28,376 and that number is projected to increase to $34,133 in 2018, she adds. That means The Table’s existing coffers will be mostly depleted by the end of January. And that, understandably, makes The Table’s board of directors nervous.
Donations of $275,000 would cover four months of The Table’s operating expenses and would allow it to replenish its contingency fund with another four months worth of expenses. That’s the minimum The Table’s board has said it will consider or it will have to take cost-cutting measures in order help ensure the sustainability of its programs. Because it is the most costly, the men’s shelter would be the first to be put on hold as of December 31 so The Table doesn’t put its other services in jeopardy, says Berg.
Running the men’s shelter is projected to cost about $13,190 per month in 2018 for wages, food and program supplies. Its other costs, like utilities, maintenance and insurance, are included in The Table’s overall operating budget. Closing the shelter, either temporarily or permanently, would reduce The Table’s monthly operating expenses to less than $21,000 per month.
Back in June, The Table’s board was considering closing the shelter for the summer, but it had an unexpected increase in donations at the time that coincided with increased usage of the shelter due to the wet and cool summer weather. Donations have since slowed but need has not. (You’ll find some statistics on shelter usage at the end of this story.)
The board will meet again on December 18 and Berg says she’s been given until that date to outline options for how the shelter’s doors could remain open on January 1. “We will be looking at every option possible and are totally open to input,” says Berg. In terms of donations, even if the full amount The Table is asking for doesn’t come in by December 31, a commitment of donations for the new year would go a long way toward helping the organization plan.
That was the theory behind its Bring it to the Table initiative, which launched in May 2017 and asked businesses to come forward with a commitment to donate $2,250 per month for twelve months, for a total of $27,000 each. So far, Tulloch Engineering has been the only business to do so. Rolston Home Building Centre stepped forward with a lesser amount last month — $1,000 per month, which it donated in a lump sum with a $12,000 cheque.
“We had all of our eggs in that basket [Bring it to the Table] for sustainability. We still think it’s a really good idea and we are still going to be pursuing corporate donors whether people come in at the $2,250 range or the $1,000 or $500 range monthly,” says Berg. “We really need support that way. The board gave it to the fall (of 2017) to see how that would go. We met and looked at the realistic numbers and have had to accept where we are at.”
Individuals can also commit to monthly donations via CanadaHelps.
Even if people can’t donate now but could do it in 2018, we need to know that commitment now. That information needs to come our way or we will have no choice (but to close the men’s shelter). We can’t put our other services in jeopardy.
Heather Berg, CEO of The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation
“It’s going to be a tough call (at the December 18 meeting),” adds Berg. “I just hope people will join Bring it to the Table and commit to automatic withdrawals. Then we can look at numbers and options.”
Berg adds that they want to do everything they can to help the men who use the shelter, but “we have to have wisdom and be smart about looking out for the needs of all of our services.” She says the community has been supportive of the shelter with donations of clothing, food and toiletries, but now what they need are financial donations.
The Table’s largest fundraiser of the year — the national Coldest Night of the Year campaign – happens on February 24 and has in the past raised $20,000 to $25,000 for The Table, but whatever funds are raised at the event in 2018 won’t arrive at The Table until a few months later. Berg is trying to recruit 13 team captains before the end of November for the event.
Berg says The Table will be providing the community with a weekly update on donations it has received until the end of 2017.
A look at the men’s shelter
The Table Men’s Shelter opened on December 5, 2016. From January 1 to October 31, 2017, the shelter hosted 71 different men. Fifty-four per cent were from Muskoka, 37 per cent from the rest of Ontario, eight per cent from other provinces, and the rest from out of country or undisclosed locations. Their average age is 41.25 years.
They’ve stayed for a combined total of 1139 nights so far in 2017 (to the end of October). The Table’s guideline is that men can stay up to 14 days in a row and no more than 28 days in a calendar year, but they have given many extended stays to guests, says Berg. Some have stayed close to 40 days in total with a few exceeding 70 days and one reaching 101 days. Some men don’t stay the night, stopping in just for meals and a shower.
The shelter is busiest on Monday and Friday nights. It has eight approved beds and is rarely full to capacity, but when it is staff will do their best to make other arrangements for the men.
While at the shelter, guests receive three meals and a nightly snack — lunch to go because the men are required to leave the shelter between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. They also have access to shower and laundry facilities; clothing; evening programming; The Table’s Community Kitchen cooking programs; and assistance to develop goals and plans of action to move out of homelessness. The Table also provides referrals to other community resources like the District of Muskoka, YMCA, and medical assistance.
The shelter is run by one full-time day manager, one part time shift supervisor, and one full-time night shift supervisor. About eight volunteers help with making breakfast or dinner, cleaning, and visiting the guests. Berg says they are in need of more volunteers.
Learn more about The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation and its services here.
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It is usually not up to the town, district, province, or Federal governments to run a lot of these programs. Those that are, are not trusted, or despised. Many in Toronto, Barrie, and Sudbury are run by not for profit groups, like The Table, or The Salvation Army. Taxes are for roads, water, snow clearing, recreation programs, parks, etc. The governments may give aid from time to time, but some people don’t like taxes going to help battle homelessness. Especially when a road has a pot hole thanks to snow plows, or a sink hole develops, or their sewer backs up (for those who are on sewers). It does not take long to see that The Table’s Men’s Shelter is there not just for what people believe is a homeless person. People go when their apartment is flooded. Waiting for an apartment to open up at the end of the month. Lost their wallet on the Ontario Northland bus en route to their vacation.
After all the years of hard work the people who fought for a men’s shelter find out it is too expensive to operate.
WHY is it too expensive to operate?
Is it more expensive to operate than say a women’s shelter?
Thank you for your comments and for the informative, well written article Dawn. All details above are accurate except that we had to change our hours from 9 am to 8 am. Though we knew that we had not received enough financial donations to cover expenses further into the future (typically we receive often less than $1000/month in the first 6 months, apart from the Coldest Night of the Year Walk), by June, the shelter was well used and needed, we were just heading into the months of giving, and we knew we would require statistics for further funding and donations. We had just launched the “Bring it to the Table” campaign in May and were, and still are, quite hopeful of corporate donors joining us. Being the first Men’s Shelter in Muskoka, we have had connection with other shelters but have not found similar circumstances to compare with. We are doing all we can and would appreciate help with funds, and volunteers to make our shelter sustainable, as it is very much needed.
I actually thought this shelter would be run by the town by picking up the expences with taxes. With the amount that taxes are in Muskoka I don’t think people want to make donations too. Why is this shelter not being supported by the town? Anybody got any suggestions or answers?
You are right. But one question I ask in reply, what should the men who need the shelter during the summer have done? It was a wet summer, and spring. Should they sleep under a tree that could be hit by lightning? Or in a flat area near a stream that overflowed because of the water? And it is not just to get out of the elements. Sometimes these men need food, so many have to resort to stealing, and starving until the food bank opens, or the soup kitchen has a meal. And why can’t these men find jobs in an area that is complaining of not enough workers? Most are looking. Most want to work, get solace to live. Here is a thought, instead of wagging fingers at the management of the Table, come find a new worker who wants to work. Make your basement into an affordable apartment.
I know hindsight is 20/20, but I can’t help but wonder why the shelter wouldn’t have closed for the summer months to save money, when outdoor conditions aren’t as harsh, in order to remain open for the winter months, when the shelter is most needed? The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation would surely have been aware of this financial situation months ago.