With roughly 30 per cent of the Cambridge Shelter Corporation's operations being unfunded, it leaves staff with over $1 million it needs to generate from donations and fundraising efforts each year.
Help is on the way as it will receive a cheque for nearly $60,000 from the recent Hockey Helps the Homeless Waterloo Region charity tournament.
The tournament brought in a total of $351,000 that's being split between The Bridges, House of Friendship, oneRoof, Starling Community Services, The Working Centre and YW of Kitchener-Waterloo.
The organizing committee had set a goal of $350,000 in the lead up to the event after raising $300,000 a year ago.
"We're quite involved with the tournament," said Wayne Paddick, executive director of the Cambridge Shelter Corporation.
"We knew what their goal was. Just knowing how the committee works, we were pleasantly surprised they went over but not overly shocked because we knew the hard work they put in."
The money will be used for shelter staffing that isn't currently funded, programming for services like its identification clinic, the second floor supportive housing and smaller items like food, beverages and hygiene items.
As the cost to properly operate pile up, it's critical to have such invested community partners, Paddick said.
"It's huge," he said.
"With the increased attention the community is getting with encampments, it's a hot button topic. With the current climate in Cambridge and the shifting around of folks who aren't housed, we encourage them to come indoors. Numbers haven't decreased since pre-COVID. Our numbers are higher more consistently."
Craig Herner has been on the committee for HHTHWR since its inception 11 years ago and said the majority of the fundraising comes from the players that participate over 16 teams and two non-playing teams.
The event starts with a draft on the Thursday evening before the tournament on the Friday. Each team gets to pick one former professional player to suit up alongside, with Stanley Cup champions Keith Acton, Ric Nattress and two-time USA Olympic silver-medallist Megan Bozak highlighting the roster of pros.
"It's great that we get such good community support, especially with the fundraising and donations but even with the volunteers," Herner said.
"We put out the ask and we used I think around 110 this year. We always have to shut off our portal early because we fill up."
Surpassing a decade of involvement supporting the cause, Herner still has the passion to give back.
"I see the ever growing need," he said.
"I want to keep on going and helping our community."
For Paddick, he hopes that forming relationships within the community will bring attention to the issue of homelessness and debunk some of the misunderstandings around the shelter.
Through various programs and services, its goal is to help place 100 people per year in stable housing.
"People see what's outside the fence line and they assume the inside is a mishmash of chaos," he said.
"Currently, we have three housing programs we work through getting people housed. We've already been able to house 70 people this year. It's not just sheltering anymore, it's the housing plan. Everybody that comes in has to work on a housing plan and setting housing related goals."
