THUNDER BAY, Ont. — An Ontario man who was homeless for years has donated $10,000 to a shelter that supported him after receiving compensation from a residential school settlement.
The act of kindness has triggered a slew of donations for Shelter House in Thunder Bay, Ont., which closed an outreach program on April 1 after it ran out of funds for the operation.
Shelter House development officer Alexandra Calderon says the man was inspired by an earlier donation from Matawa First Nation, which pledged $10,000 per year for the next five years to the organization.
The shelter's outreach program involves two staffers driving around and checking on the city's vulnerable people, taking them to medical appointments and transporting them to the shelter.
Calderon says the man, who wants to remain anonymous, used the shelter and its outreach program for years and wants to see the program running again.
She says the shelter has raised $75,000, but needs $125,000 in order to get the program running again.