written by Renee Godmaire - September 2nd, 2020
According to Abraham Maslow's 1943 paper on "A Theory of Human Motivation", the need for shelter is one of 7 most important basic human needs for all. This world renowned psychologist; an expert in his field, was especially recognized for his "pyramid" otherwise known as the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, in which he lists in a basic yet complex method, all of the human being's needs. This can't be news for any of us. One's need for adequate shelter, proper nutrition and hydration, an appropriate amount of sleep and comfortable clothing has always been priority. The unfortunate truth is that countless, even in our small community in Northern Ontario, have a few, and probably many of those needs left unanswered and unmet.
This is where Zack's Crib come into play. The Temiskaming Shores and area community members, have been hearing more and more about Zack's Crib and our fundraising efforts as well as our plans to address homelessness.
This SAFE BED FACILITY will provide shelter for those who do not have a warm bed, a safe place, and a roof over their heads. This is our starting point. Our sincere hope is to grow with time and experience and by identifying the needs of local community members who are dealing with homelessness.
Eventually, we hope to be able to offer a lot more. This will be clearly identified as time passes and information is gathered. Ideally, we would like to be able to offer continued support and access to all services that would help alleviate the struggles of homelessness and address the causes. For now, as we begin this journey, we will be offering services without judgement to both men and women, trans, cisgender, gender queer, gender variant, non-binary, two spirit and any not mentioned above with discrimination, without question. We are a welcoming, empathetic group of individuals simply looking to help those who are lacking the most fundamental necessities. It's a start. It's a starting point from which we will grow and we are excited to see this project come to fruition! We (the Zack's Crib board members) wish to sincerely thank all who helped us so far as well as voice our enthusiasm to all of those we have yet to work with! This shall be great! This shall make a difference and this will change lives!
