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b16 economist suntribune june 11 1986 porter place is welcome haven for york regions homeless men the rambling victorian man sion on the outskirts of newmar ket is a faded reminder of the ele gance of a bygone age inside only the ghosts of that age remain thrift shop furniture and threadbare carpets pre dominate the striped wallpaper in the stairwell near the entrance is peeling used office furniture is crammed into a wellappointed front room that once served as a parlor although porter place a mens hostel at the intersection of mul lock avenue and young street has seen better days most of its inhabitants dont seem to care since it opened in 1982 in the 23bed facility has been a haven to more than 800 homeless and tran sient men men like louis a 76year old war veteran ernie an elderly gentleman who wife asked him to leave their home and david a young day patient in the psychiatric ward of york central hospital the need for a mens shelter in york region was first identified eight years ago it was put on the back burner while concerned citizens and social service agency representatives directed their efforts toward setting up emergency accommodations for women and children the result was yellow brick house in au rora which opened in 1979 in 1981 people in the region be gan again to pursue the idea of opening a mens hostel and a year later porter place finally got off the ground since then it has welcomed men of all ages and backgrounds who are faced with eviction un employment and family prob lems some are as young as 16 teenage runaways who have been on the streets since early adolesc ence others are middleclass stu dents who are unhappy with their home lives approximately 25 percent are psychiatric day patients like david porter place is the only available accommodation for them in york region most of the men are from new market and surrounding area but some come from toronto and other ontario cities a small minority are from out of the pro vince their diverse backgrounds sug gest that faomelessness is becom ing a problem for a growing seg ment of the male population says sylvia leeder executive direc tor of porter place homelessness is not an aberration but something that many different men may have to cope with at various points in their lives our men are not the stereotype transient seen in many large cities a lot of men we wel come are victims of todays eco nomy she comments getting back on their feet can be the toughest and most impor tant challenge they have ever faced it was for david who came to porter place almost nine months ago diagnosed as a manic de pressive he needed someone to give him his medication four times a day he could not cope with many basic tasks and in his own words wasnt able to hand le the outside world it wasnt his first time at porter place an earlier attempt to live here while attending psychiatric daycare at york central hospital had ended in failure and david had been commited to an institu tion this time david was success ful under the guidance and en- couragementof the porter place staff he learned to pitch in with household chores take his medication by himself and assume responsibility for getting himself to day hospital his progress was so great that three weeks ago with the support of his therapist david left port place to life on his own staff supervisor june rose observes that not all men who come to porter place have the same difficulties as david last week we had a gentleman who got sick lost his job and was evicted she says but it wasnt long before he found another job and moved out he really only bad to stay until he got a paycheque but she also notes that many re sidents lack this motivation often they suffer from apathy and low selfesteem they may not known how to cook shop or hand le a budget plus they dont have any idea about how to get a job if they become unemployed at porter place seven staff members and one student trainee teach the men these basic life skills and help them find employ ment they direct them to other useful agencies in the area such as youth employment a job re cruitment service for 16 to 24year olds run by the ymca they also send men out on requests for casual labor from canada man power that often lead to perma nent jobs perhaps most importantly the staff go out of their way to make porter place feel like home they j organize recreational and social activities for the men even so not all the men who pass through porter place are able to rebuild their lives somej like the 76yearold war veteran- louie end up back on the streets but many more get back on their feet and lots of them keep in touch with the staff either in person or by letter its an indication of the strong bonds that often develop between staff and residents for david this kind of contact is what made porter place spe cial the staff treated me with re- spect not pity he says by being at porter place my self- confidence went up the hostel is funded by the un ited way of york region canada manpower the region of york and the ontario ministryof cor rections about 20 percent of us budget comes from the united way and we really rely on it says sylvia leeder i to advertise call 2942200 4959440 6402100 service directory copy deadlines each friday by 300 pm call now for more information llnlonvllls general contracting limited custom residential homes additions alterations 5333808 spiers tree service complete tree care interlocking total landscaping stone work wood retaining walls grading brian speers 2911749 8840777 paintings wallpapering interior exterior free estimates 6838775 or 751 7342 wallpapering specialists professionally indian ruas dhurries available 2262568 edwards tv antenna installation repair removal call anytime 4716728 o mccrossan son ltd building contractor custom carpentry our specialty additions renovations custom building 2946141 john heaton painting contractor high quality decorating fully guaranteed airless spray completely insured free estimates 6404338 y watch v clock j ki ins j ewellery quality repairs on premises 42 years experience 76 main st n markham 2944844 scandia design contracting designing specializing in decks solariums custom carpentry 2946655 painting wall covering 30 years experience quality service free estimates roger pavan 8811005 roger heath carpentry lic b3591 contracting designing basement finishing specialist addtions renovations repairs free estimates references 2949786 evngs wallpapering painting over 30 years experience stouffville markham 2834145 goodwood masonry stone brick block specializes in fireplaces chimeny 6401299 pro power painters exterior interior fully insured free estimates ron fenwick bus 4715130 res 2947295 serving markham for 9 years sufersttjdent lawn maintenance complete lawn care service spring cleanups contract or piece work call jim or brian 4716482 free estimates b the golden age you are invited to a welcome wagon plussixty party entertainment gifts door prizes place participation house date friday june 20 1986 time 730 pm admission is free but by invitation only for your personal invitation call heather 4771995 or norma 2949967 barker roofing siding ltd 6404966 building product repairs reroofing siding soffits free estimates serving the ccmnunty nce 19s5 kavanagh roofing residential roofing repair mike kavanagh tim kavanagh 2836452 4757229 four season aluminum sales est 1961 replacement windows siding fascia soffit mean building products doors windows vinyl siding eavestroughs awnings al craig glenn phone rr3 stouffville 6405603 hathaway bros painting paper hanging airless spray interior exterior 7 pratt lambert commercial industrial 32 years in business 220 main st e 6403075 success square stouffville 64041 34 after hours woodlands developments co extensions interior work and all phases of reconstruction call paul 4716859 refences all work guaranteed painting paper hanging residential commercial interior exterior 35 years experience leo c spurrell son free estimates 2666251 classical design interlocking stone driveways patios walkways 10 year guarantee 4870651 markham pools inground above ground pools installations repairs all makes chemicals accessories hwy 48 mi n of 16th ave markham 2948420 bill horner appliance general repairs reasonable rates fast service call pager 4263298 leave message tch will cll you imitmdumy jim a bajari building contractor custom homes additions and renovations rec rooms decks replacement windows custom carpentry free estimates 2941122 i goodwood construction specializing in roofing sheet metal of all types jules b maurice roofing consultant 6406414 tellys carpentry 4796649 improvements 8t repairs cabinets decks x chair rails 6v other trims wayne smith carpentry additions renovations cabinets decks 6406345 concrete work all types markham area waterproofing and unistone r pagnello established since 1945 2944670 allan marks plumbing repairs alterations no job too small 4774330 9211341 ken smurthwaite heating ltd air conditioning duct work custom sheet metal stouffville 6401428 velvet touch maintenance lawn garden care spring cleanups reasonable rates rr1 stouffville 2947814 lawn care 6406623 fertilizing 30 weed spraying 25 prices quoted arc based on 4000 sq ft wayne tyson electrical construction servicing stouffville area 6402345 after 6 pm murray brown designers builders custom woodworking alterations repairs 8875576 unionville monarch graystone inc landscaping interlocking stone expert j work free estimates references caj 4716859 all work guaranteed maynard cabinets custom furnishings wall units desks etc l fred 1 6403441 handyman all kinds of repairs plumbing carpentry electrical etc call al 4757499 dms construction custom building general contracting project management free estimates 4745118 15 years experience coxworth construction additions renovations rec rooms sun decks i kevin 2943666 i als appliance service repairs lb all make of washers dryers fridges stoves eic guaranteed repairs same day service weekdays evenings and i saturday no extra chafige 6407477 4752227 carpet tile installation repairs 4741080 martin brown painting wallpapering contractor evenings 6404514 decks interlocking stone landscaping professionals book now for spring summer installation 2947941 seajay services wallpapering alterations painting reasonable prices a386133 emc0 construction additons garages concrete floors walkways interlocking chimneys and fireplaces rebuilt basement refinishing all kinds of renovations 2947313 or 4715626 bills painting interior exterior residential commercial serving markham year round bill frechette 294541 5 evgs decks renovations additions fences quality workmanship guaranteed competitive prices design consultation n for free estimates fevan andys quality carpentry 4740526 landecker designs post holes decks landscaping 4714601 asphalt sealing professionally done 12 years experience call 4716429 thinking of a new fence or deck we do all types guaranteed workmanship 40 year warranty on wood classic fence 4711983 drew landscaping property maintenance specializing in estate properties markham ontario free estimates winford painter decorator specializing in residential 30 years exp goodwood ont ask for tom tor 6405045 or6404s05 cedar hill paring iimite4 pitting you kttps in h boilnttt parking areas driveways repairs unistone installation 1 8 years experience 8811827 member bbb