Last Thursday evening, the Elliot Lake Women’s Group (ELWG) made a funding request of $100k to support Larry’s Place, a men’s shelter in Elliot Lake.
The request was one of seven, brought to a meeting at city hall at the October 24, Budget 2025 public input meeting, a new initiative announced the previous week.
ELWG is seeking the funding on an annual basis, executive director, Esther Rongoma, explained. “Our honest plea, is for us to be included in the annual operation budget from the city so that we get to receive support on an annual basis to support the shelter and the men who really need our services.”
ELWG has operated Maplegate, a women’s shelter, since ELWG’s incorporation in 1987; and Larry’s Place since 2018, she said.
“We are fortunate enough to be supported by the Ministry of Community and Social Services for the Maplegate House for Women. However, for Larry's Place, we do not have guaranteed funding.”
Rongoma also told the city staff, councillors and assembled local citizens, that Larry’s Place has accommodated 125 individuals between September 2023 and September 2024. “We’ve also had over 500 phone calls of people calling, requesting or seeking shelter to the men’s shelter alone,” she said.
Larry’s Place provides shelter and food “as well as building skills and helping [the men] transition back to their normal life … a job and gaining those skills so that they can live independently.”
Rongoma's presentation reported the monthly cost of running Larry’s Place is $39,462 per month or $473,544 annually. "It's a 24-hour shelter. We need staff throughout the day and night."
“We operate through donations, community donation, in-kind donation, and also one-time funding or one-time grant.”
“This morning, we just launched our Homeless Challenge, our third annual Homeless Challenge,” Rongoma explained. That story is here.
“So, we are here to seek or to plead for support. And we’ve just put out the numbers that we have for us to be able to keep our doors open.”
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