Transition House has opened its doors in Pembroke, thanks to the efforts of a private donor and several community organizations.
The facility is spearheaded by The Grid, with funding through Mental Health Service of Renfrew County administered by Pembroke Regional Hospital.
PRH put up 100 thousand dollars to renovate a century-old home in the City with monies funneled through Ontario’s Safe Beds Program.
Safe Beds is a provincial initiative that offers an alternative to hospitalization for those in a crisis situation. Individuals can stay at Transition House — on a short-term basis — to work through a mental health or addiction crisis.
For those fortunate to get a room at Transition House, it means a warm bed and safe shelter in a shared environment, for periods of one night to three months.
Residents are partnered with a case worker, and community supports as they map a road to recovery.
The Grind was bequeathed the home in 2018 by the estate of Aleida Sluyter.
Local contractors and volunteers completed the reconstruction in just over a year, and Transition House welcomed its first residents on May 1st.