Street Help offers vital services

By Barry Hazlehurst

Windsorites who are enduring financial hardships have a safe place at Street Help to access  services, such as help with basic needs, employment and other necessities for living.

Christine Furlonger, the manager of Street Help, has been working to help make the city a better place for those who are down on their luck.

Furlonger volunteered at shelters across the province and settled in Windsor where she volunteered with the homeless. She was eventually approached by social workers with the suggestion that she start her own organization here.

That is exactly what she did, more than 17 years ago.

“I was a homeless person myself at a young age but I eventually pulled myself out,” said Furlonger. “I then observed and volunteered at shelters across Ontario to learn how they operate.”

Clients volunteering time in exchange for services, food and other necessities plays a big role in how Street Help operates.

Anthony Nelson, a Street Help volunteer from Windsor who works at Street Help, said he enjoys giving back to the organization on a regular basis.