The CEO of a local non-profit organization that helps those in need, is celebrating while she sees her dream come true.

Photo: Michelle Porter

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission will now be on wheels with a refurbished, retired ambulance outfitted with some essentials.

#SoulsMobile will travel around HRM, visiting those living in encampments and delivering essential items like hygiene products, snacks, shoes, first aid and clean socks.

Michelle Porter tells us her idea came to life after someone from EHS became aware that this was something she really wanted to do and gave her a call.

They then supplied the ambulance for free.

“They just heard me talking about wanting to have a retired ambulance to go where the people are and they reached out and said, ‘we’ve got one for you’… it was amazing.”

The idea

The idea of having a mobile service was sparked after hearing of so many people living outside, seeing them at the drop-in centres, but knowing there were so many more.

So, Porter says they wanted to go where the people are; provide them with emergency supplies and connect them with service providers that can help with their situation.

Everything they give out is donated.

The things that they have the least of are snacks and hygiene items.

Kicking off

Souls Harbour had an official launch Thursday at their drop-in centre in Sackville to help spread the word.

Porter says roughly 150 people were there, half of them were those in need.

Photo: Michelle Porter

She says the feedback has been really positive.

“In fact, they are telling us of new places that we hadn’t heard where people are tenting in the woods.  We put a pin in our map, and we are going to go visit them next week.”

Porter adds they would love to be able to expand their fleet to other areas in the province but are using HRM as a launching point.

So far, they have mapped out 89 tents in ten encampments.

#SoulsMobile will be on the road 40 hours a week Monday to Friday.