Homelessness top of mind at vendor show supporting SOYA

Vendors came together at OC Beauty on Saturday for this year’s Steelton Summer Party in support of SOYA (Save Our Young Adults).

The event included local makers, face painting, music, and a charity barbecue. Donations from the barbecue went towards SOYA, a non-profit dedicated to helping those with substance use disorder.

SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott was beyond appreciative for the financial gesture.

“We’re very blessed,” she says. “We live in a wonderful community, and it’s so nice to be in Steelton for this event. The support is so appreciated.”

Saturday’s support for SOYA comes at a time when addiction and homelessness have taken over local headlines.

In a recent report from the city’s planning department, officials determined the Sault requires a minimum of 80 permanent supportive housing units to combat homelessness.

As of July 2023, there were just 10 such units in town, Social Services CEO Mike Nadeau told SooToday that number could reach 61 over the next several months as additional units are coming to East Street, Pauline's Place, and the Community Resource Centre.

While she’s looking forward to seeing those units start to open, Raynor-Elliott believes there are additional ways to get the homeless off the streets.

“We have all these vacant buildings – do something with them,” she suggests. “Instead of them just sitting there and rotting because that’s what they’re doing. I would like our city officials to consider that.”

“We’re going the right direction but we need to do better. We have all of these wonderful services that are opening up, and we need them open – now.”

The founder of SOYA is also hopeful that a Supervised Consumption and Treatment site in the Sault will be approved sooner rather than later. As of May 2023, the city was building an application for its eventual site and weighing options on where it should be located.

“I think it’s going to be a long and drawn-out process,” she admits. “If we get it, you’re going to see a big change in the city, and it’s a change for the better. Because when it gets down to it, how can someone get better if we lose them?”

Meanwhile, Raynor-Elliott and her team at SOYA will be inviting the public to the Roberta Bondar Pavilion for International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.

Running from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the annual event will begin with a ceremony at the Memorial Wall next to city hall. Following the ceremony, the Pavilion will host guest speakers, agency tables, and a free barbecue.

“It gets bigger every year,” Raynor-Elliott says. “It’s all about education and community support.”