Seniors’ home safe in the hands of parish’s community services arm
Several seniors in St. Andrews have a home thanks to the forward thinking of Shiretown Community Services.
It recently purchased Quinn House, an eight-unit apartment building with rents subsidized by NB Housing for seniors.
“We wanted to ensure that lower income seniors had a safe place to live,” said Linda Walsh, vice-chair. “We knew if we weren’t able to do this, if a commercial venture went in and bought it, they’d probably do a reno and everyone would be displaced.
“Then the rents would be at market value, and all these people wouldn’t have a place to stay.”
A mandate to help seniors is one of the reasons Shiretown Community Services exists. It was formed by the Anglican Parish of St. Andrews 20 years ago to access grants not available to churches. The Ven. John Matheson is chair of SCS. Linda is the senior warden of the parish.
CSC’s other mandate is to help people who have barriers to employment.
THE PURCHASE
The sale of Quinn House at 310 Queen St., took effect Oct. 15, purchased from Masonic Charities & Housing Company Ltd.
“Well over a year ago it became known that Quinn House was up for sale,” said Linda, adding that with so few Masons left in town, managing the building had become a burden.
Then people suggested SCS buy it — a far-fetched notion, according to Linda. But the seed was planted.
“So we looked at it, but it still seemed to be pie in the sky,” she said.
She got the budget from the sellers and began working on a plan.
“It looked like we could pull it off,” she said. “So we’re up and running.”
The building has seven one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments, all on one level. The seniors are long-term tenants who are like family to each other, said Linda.
Each tenant pays 30 per cent of their gross income in rent, with NB Housing covering the difference, but there is a rent ceiling, so profits are not huge.
Rental income covers the mortgage and operating expenses, but the purchase expenses, like the legal fees, closing costs and other items, require fundraising.
SCS OUTREACH
For the past few years, CSC has focused on services to those with barriers to employment. They use the parish kitchen to prepare a soup lunch each week from fall to spring, employing young adults with various abilities.
The Friday soup lunch is very popular throughout the town, with everyone from the mayor to people with no one to eat with attending. A donation basket is set out, but no one is asked for money.
Up until now, they bought cookies for the dessert, but this fall they will also be preparing baked goods as well as the soup.
“This past summer, the group went over to Minister’s Island and opened a food truck,” said Linda. “Some are high functioning, and for some, this is all they can do.
“Every year they grow, learn and take more on.”
They are led by former restaurant owner Helen Anne Smith.
During soup season, SCS sent a pot of soup weekly to Neighbourhood Works, a St. Stephen shelter. In the off season, they sent sandwiches. Then they began sending both.
Sometimes it’s difficult to know where SCS ends and the parish begins. They offer free meals at the parish hall during the year, notably on Shrove Tuesday, Easter Monday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day for whomever needs and wants to come, no questions asked.
They also support Paula’s Clothesline, a literal clothesline erected in front of the parish hall, with zipper bags full of whatever someone might need: towels, soap, underwear, gloves, hats and so on. The parish stores larger clothing items inside the hall.
“Between the parish and SCS, we do a huge outreach,” said Linda. “We seem to be the hub of outreach.
“It’s kind of amazing that we were able to pull it off,” Linda said of the building purchase. “We’re all just trying to do God’s work.”
PHOTO CAPTION:
Quinn House is the home of eight low-income seniors in St. Andrews. The parish’s community services organization recently bought the complex to keep it an affordable option for several of the town’s seniors. John Matheson photo