About Us - Safe Harbour Society

The 7 stars we steer by

As we make decisions, in and around the Harbour, we call to mind these principles. They help to remind us of our Vision, our Mission, and most importantly, our relationships.

Truthtelling

“I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed but I am bound to live by the light that I have.”

~Abraham Lincoln

Peacemaking

“An inclusive, holistic partnership orientated process. An act of courage, not for the faint of heart. The courage to act in the face of danger, to reach out through the blur of hatred, to witness for peace and justice, and above all to love in the face of fear.”

~Louise Diamond

“If we have no peace it’s because we have forgotten that we belong to one another.”

~Mother Teresa

Relationship

“To honour each other as equals treating all parties respectfully within the bounty of our diversity”

~Jean Vanier

Compassion

“As the human heart opens up and becomes compassionate we discover our fundamental unity, our common humanity. Compassion is the tender openings of our hearts to pain and suffering.”

~Jean Vanier

Listening

“We will listen to the wisdom of those whose life patterns are outside the social norm. Listening moves us closer”

~Jean Vanier

“Lives are changed by a moments’ listening.”

~George Smith

Story Telling

“Stories bring concepts and messages to life. They tell us great truths in simple, personal terms. When we tell stories, we touch hearts.”

~Jean Vanier

Risk Taking

“A healthy group living in a deliberately chosen spirit of risk, adventure, courage and openness. A spirit of insecurity, the embracing of an unknown future in an attitude of honest questioning.”

~Jean Vanier

“Chaos is inherent in all compound things. Strive on with diligence.”

~Buddha

“We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vision

A community that embraces each of its members.

Mission

To provide spaces of welcome and connection to our clients/guests, our team and our community.

Meet the Captain

Ahoy!

Welcome to the Harbour. Here you will find an extraordinary group of staff and Board members who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in their community. They were drawn in by the need and they came to shine their lights into the darkness.

I am truly humbled and grateful to Captain such a crew.

In true nautical fashion we have 7 Stars we steer by as we navigate through the madness of systems and work towards meeting the needs of the people we serve which often times lay beyond the societal norm. Our north star is the relationship one and it is embedded in all we do not just for our guests but the broader community and each other.

It is relationship that enables us to see past the addiction or mental illness or poverty. The people we serve have stories that can bring us to our knees and we are constantly amazed at the resiliency of the human spirit.

I am the sort of Captain that can say all the right words until I’m afraid. Then I look for someone to blame. Then I start to realize the heaviness of the burden of the community. I get overwhelmed. I want to run away, abandon ship. I throw off my Captains hat and start swimming.

Like the staff and board of this organization it is the need of the people that has me swimming back and putting my Captain’s hat back on. The fact that they still get up every day and keep trying. Even loaded down with all the shame, stigma and discrimination the community throws at them, they still get up.

How on earth can I not go on with that sort of motivation?

I have never had a job that I loved more than this one. I have also never had a job that was as traumatic as this one. All the wrinkles and ruts in my face prove it.

The Harbour is in me. It has shaped me in ways I’ve never thought possible. It attacks my belief system, it challenges my understanding but most of all it gives me the opportunity to shine my light into some extraordinary places.

What else can a Captain ask for?

Read the Captain’s Log

Kath Hoffman, Executive Director
Captain

Our Crew

The people who join our team have anchored into the Harbour because they want to make a difference in their community. They want to help, to be a part of a solution, to shine their own unique light into this Safe Harbour and keep them shining on people as they navigate through systems and broader resources.

That sounds really good and lovely but it’s not an easy gig. It challenges every one of them at some point. It introduces them into a different world, with different rules and different priorities. It makes them think outside the box for realistic and safe solutions to problems outside the social norm. It demands a thick skin, the ability to not take things personally and a tremendous amount of understanding and patience.

They continue to stand tall and stay true to our mission statement of providing welcome and connection. They welcome back those that yelled at them the night before, those that just finished treatment and are using again, those that are dying from an overdose, those mentally ill people who have no other place to be, and seniors who are addicted and have worn out their welcome everywhere else. The list goes on and on and with it our team consistently does the best they can with what we have. The front line crew has a fantastic Leadership team supporting them, providing oversight and experience, appropriate training and opportunities to debrief.

Three cheers for the past and present crew who have anchored into the Harbour!

Join our crew

Board of Directors

The Safe Harbour Board of Directors is currently and always has been made up by a determined group of volunteers who want to help make a difference in their community. We’ve had many wonderful people sit on our board over the years, each shining their unique light in and around this Safe Harbour and in our community.

With the 7 Stars We Steer By guiding them, our board members provide governance and leadership to our organization and support and guidance to our Executive Director. They work collaboratively in the community and they are passionate advocates for people living outside social norms.