"Safe Harbour Society presents Gabor Maté, M.D. Physician, author and public speaker"

Our Mission is to welcome, shelter and support people with addictions, mental health, or housing needs.

Our vision is of a community that is enriched by embracing each of its members and valuing their contribution.

Amalgamation
The past year was one of change and growth in our organization. On April 11, 2007, Safe Harbour Society for Addictions and Poverty in Alberta amalgamated with Central Alberta Housing Society and the Residential Society of Red Deer to form the new Central Alberta’s Safe Harbour Society for Health and Housing. The move has allowed us to better serve our clients and to reduce costs. “It made perfect sense to bring the services of all three agencies together under one roof,” says Kath Hoffman, executive director of the Safe Harbour Society.

New Executive Director
Hoffman was named executive director for Safe Harbour Society in May 2008. She was the residential director of the Safe Harbour Society for Addictions and Poverty in Alberta since 2004. She has 12 years experience working in the addictions field in both Red Deer and Drumheller.

A new place to call home.
We celebrated the grand opening of our newly renovated 40-bed facility on July 4, 2007. Located at 5246 - 53 Avenue in downtown Red Deer, it houses our head office, Aboriginal elder support, our residential services housing team, a detox centre and overnight emergency shelter. We opened the detox centre with 10 detox beds and 10 transition beds, which are available for people waiting to get into housing or residential treatment programs. Due to continued demand for detox spaces, we changed the ratio to 15 detox beds and five transition beds. We also have 20 overnight shelter mats for people who are intoxicated or high and in need of a safe place to spend the night. The growing need for services is one of our ongoing challenges.

Looking Forward
We are excited to continue moving forward on all of the programs and services we provide. After a year of transition, we will take the next year to settle down, evaluate our operations and continue with strategic planning for the future. Our long-term goals include a residential treatment centre to provide a place where people can go to break the cycle of addiction and return to the community healthier. “People can get cleaned up in our detox centre, but if they can’t change anything else in their life, it’s easy for them to fall back into their old habits,” says Hoffman. Other future goals include a day shelter and apartments for affordable housing. We will continue on our journey to create a Safe Harbour, Safe People and Safe Community.