We’ve changed our name!
Exciting news! On November 15, we officially changed our name from Welcome In Drop In Centre to Stepping Stone!
Our new name will better align with our mandate to address homelessness in Guelph-Wellington. Stepping Stone was chosen because it is also the name of our first shelter, established under the leadership of our founder, Sister Christine Leyser.
As an organization we’ve been addressing homelessness since 1985, but our former name no longer reflected the scope of the work we do in our community. In 2020, our Board officially recognized that the biggest challenge facing the individuals we support is housing and housing stability, and we decided to formalize that priority.
Early in the pandemic, we were part of a community-wide response to provide indoor spaces for individuals who are experiencing homelessness to shelter in place or quarantine. The ‘Drop-In’ building that once provided a daytime gathering place and meals at 23 Gordon Street became an emergency overnight shelter, and ‘drop-in’-style services were adopted by the Royal City Mission.
We were already having discussions about transitioning some services to Royal City Mission pre-pandemic as they expressed an interest in hosting meals there after completing a kitchen renovation. It was a team effort, and we are so grateful for all of our community partners who have responded to meet the needs in our community.
We currently have 45 staff members leading a 24/7 supportive shelter, emergency overnight shelter, outreach services, homeless diversion initiatives, housing stability initiatives, and permanent supportive housing through our Grace Gardens property.