Square One Community Inc is partnering with the city of Moose Jaw in an effort to prevent homelessness this upcoming winter.
Square One was founded in 2021 as a successor to the city’s COVID-19 community response committee. The city council recently voted to support the initiative as a designated municipal project, meaning that it will provide receipts for charitable donations to the organization and will also be able to gain greater funding grants. The project aims to build a heated shelter to provide a place to stay in what is expected to be a cold winter. Square One has also worked with artists Bill and Laurette Keen on a mental health initiative and to raise money for the John Howard Society.
The organization also hopes to contribute to a women’s shelter and a “navigator system” to help connect people in need with community services. Square One provides varying levels of housing support, as well as a Clothing Closet program to provide clean, seasonal clothing through pop-up stalls as well as regular locations. Community initiatives like this use everything from special events to brochure printing to help raise awareness of their work and secure donations, which their new status will further help with.
Square One Community Inc officially became Moose Jaw’s 11th designated municipal project on September 12, with the designation set to last until December 31, 2023. It aims to ramp up its charitable efforts this fall and winter.
