By H.O.M.E. Staff.
Jo-Ann Core recalls seeing real pride in the faces of a couple she met at Indwell’s housing complex on Dundas Street in London.
“My husband Tom and I were considering a donation to Indwell in Sarnia and were encouraged to drop in and visit Indwell’s Dundas Street property,” she said. “It’s a beautiful building. We were walking down the hall and met a couple with a young baby.
“They invited us in to see their apartment and I was struck by how excited they were to live there,” said Jo-Ann.
Indwell opened Embassy Commons on Dundas Street in 2023. It has 30 deeply affordable housing units and 42 supportive housing units for vulnerable people. Supportive housing services include nursing care, psychosocial, addiction, and recreational programs.
Jo-Ann and Tom also saw a café on the ground floor that provides hot meals for Indwell tenants, as well as a variety store and bicycle shop where tenants can volunteer to help with repairs.
“We could see it is a community where people develop a social network and a sense of belonging,” said Jo-Ann. “I think that’s very important. You can’t plunk people in a building and say, ‘Good luck.’ They need a lot more than that to be successful.”
Ultimately, the Cores decided to donate $200,000 toward a $5 million capital campaign for supportive housing in Sarnia-Lambton.
The campaign is organized by a new non-profit called H.O.M.E. (Home Opportunities Made for Everyone) in partnership with the Sarnia Community Foundation.
“The people associated with H.O.M.E. have done their homework and decided to collaborate with Indwell because of Indwell’s success in Southern Ontario,” said Tom.
He views Indwell as the ideal charitable group to access government grants, work with local communities and build housing. To date, Indwell has successfully housed tenants in 1,300 units located in Hamilton, Waterloo Region, London, Mississauga, Simcoe, St. Thomas and Woodstock.
“Sarnia-Lambton needs a lot of supportive housing to help solve homelessness, mental health and addiction in our community,” said Tom. “H.O.M.E. has put a lot of positive energy into making an informed decision about Indwell.
“We need to support that.”
Indwell can’t solve all the challenges related to homelessness, but building supportive housing can make a big difference, said Tom.
Before they retired, the Cores spent 50 years farming in Plympton-Wyoming with Tom’s brothers. They recently retired, sold their farm, and had money they could donate.
Over the years, Tom and Jo Ann supported various causes with contributions of “$50 here and $50 there,” explained Tom.
“But during the pandemic, I was talking to a fellow farmer about charitable giving and I was surprised by the monetary value that he donated. That got me thinking and I began to donate more to the Inn of the Good Shepherd.”
His involvement at the Inn put him face-to-face with homelessness in Sarnia-Lambton.
“I’d be at the Inn, fixing fences or serving meals and I saw how extensive the need is,” said Tom.
“My friend always talks about giving back and that made me really consider what Jo-Ann and I can give back.”
When the farm sold, the Cores did more research about Indwell and H.O.M.E. and decided that’s where they wanted to put their charitable dollars.
“I’m grateful we are in a position to make this donation,” said Jo-Ann. “Tom has worked so hard his whole life and this is important to us.”
“We have an opportunity to make a difference,” added Tom. “I feel good about that.”
