What was the initiative?

Stewart worked with community partners in Kingston, Ontario, to identify and work towards collaborative solutions to chronic homelessness. The major component of his initiative was the creation of the St. Mary’s Drop-In Centre, a welcoming space in the downtown core for people without housing to access immediate material needs, social support, and programming focused on various topics, such as education, employment, health-promotion, and the arts.

What was the community connection?

During his undergraduate degree, Stewart was actively involved with a network of community organizations working to address chronic homelessness in Kingston. He applied to the Fellowship with Ryandale Transitional Housing, and throughout the Fellowship year he also worked with other community groups such as the Kingston Street Mission and St. Mary’s Cathedral to accomplish his project goals.

How was it innovative?

During his Fellowship, Stewart focused on identifying and leveraging existing physical and non-physical community assets in new ways. Stewart brought together existing community groups, community members-at-large, and individuals experiencing homelessness to ensure he was working towards a collaborative and sustainable initiative. He was able to see his community come together and mobilize towards a large-scale, long-term, and unique project, culminating in the creation of the St. Mary’s Drop-In Centre. Two weeks after opening the Drop-In Centre, the COVID-19 pandemic began, increasing the need for such services within the community. Stewart worked with community members to integrate an Asset-Based Community-Driven approach when establishing the Drop-In Centre, contributing to the sustainability of the Centre’s services throughout the pandemic and beyond.

What is Stewart doing now?

Stewart is currently pursuing an MD at Dalhousie University.