South Shore Open Doors Association

06/02/2026

What can you expect when reaching out to get support from SSODA?

STEP 1

You can reach out to our Household Navigator Dayna by phone or email: (902) 521-0994,
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

It usually takes up to 3 business days for Dayna to get back to you because we have such a high volume of calls and emails.

STEP 2

After you’ve received an appointment time, you will meet with Dayna either virtually or in-person at our office. We operate by appointment only and we do not have capacity for drop-in services.

During your intake meeting, Dayna will ask about your housing situation and gather other information about your life situation to help match you with services that can help.

STEP 3

After you do your intake meeting, Dayna will refer you to the service providers in our community who can best meet your needs.

We call this a warm referral because Dayna will pass on your information and situation to the next person you meet with so they are ready to help. This avoids you having to tell your story to multiple people more than once.

05/29/2026

Our shelter is hiring! Please follow the link below to learn more, or to apply.

Apply for the Shelter Support Worker job in Bridgewater, NS! Learn more about the job description, salary, and job details to see if you qualify on Indeed today.

05/29/2026

This is what we mean when we say Roof 25 is a ‘low barrier’ shelter.

Our shelter is open nightly from 8pm and 8am (doors close at 11pm).

You’ll find us at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 25 Phoenix St, Bridgewater.

05/27/2026

Come along to see what a day in Dayna's life is like!

Video description: Video of Dayna with a voiceover of her sharing a day in the life working at SSODA.

05/26/2026

Our Trustee Program is all about supporting individuals and families to reduce housing insecurity.

If you are struggling to make ends meet and keep up with your rent, power bills, and budget for your monthly expenses, our Trustee Amanda might be able to help.

Amanda would receive your monthly income, whether from a job, income assistance, or another form of income, and she’ll pay your essential housing bills like rent and heat. Whatever is left over she will give you for the rest of the month.

The first step is booking an intake with our Housing Navigator, and if Trusteeship makes sense for you, the Housing Navigator will connect you to Amanda.

Book an appointment with our Household Navigator Dayna, (902) 521-0994 or [email protected]

Video description: Amanda, sitting at the desk in her office sharing about the Trustee Program and how it supports individuals and families to reduce housing insecurity.

05/22/2026

Have you ever wondered how shelters make our communities better?

Here’s some facts about how shelters improve communities for everyone:

Shelters provide immediate, safe, and stable places for unhoused folks, which reduces crime, improves public health, and saves lives.

Shelters also provide wraparound supports that help transition folks into permanent housing, thereby reducing homelessness.

Information for this post was sourced from Humanitarian Coalition, 2024.

05/20/2026

Everyone should be able to mitigate risks to their health and access the best care for them.

Stigma and discrimination can make it hard for people who use substances to access the care and supplies they need.

Harm reduction is an evidence-based, best-practice, public health approach that aims to reduce negative health, social, and economic impacts of substance use.

We practice harm reduction in our service delivery by providing clean supplies for drug use, training our staff to administer naloxone, and providing overnight Shelter for people who are intoxicated.

Harm reduction approaches are supported by the federal government in ‘Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy’ and we are proud to be providing best-practice care for folks who use substances in our community.

Video description: Shelter Manager Krista sitting at a desk in her office sharing information about harm reduction.

05/15/2026

Krista Miller is our Shelter Manager and a strong advocate for harm reduction and recovering out load from substances.

You can connect with Krista about matters relating to the Roof 25 shelter at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or (902) 530-3198

Video description: Krista Miller, Shelter Manager, sitting at a desk in her office sharing her story and why she works at SSODA.

05/12/2026

When should you reach out to us?

We often have people reach out after its almost too late, after they’ve received an eviction notice, or moved out and have no where to go.

Ask for our help before it gets that bad.

When you come to us sooner, we can help you stay in your housing and prevent evictions or power being cut off.

Book an appointment with our Household Navigator Dayna, (902) 521-0994 or [email protected]

05/07/2026

Having a roof over your head is a basic human right. And yet, Canada spent decades without investing in accessible, non-market housing.

Emergency shelter helps to solve homelessness by connecting guests to housing support. Roof 25 provides wraparound services to help shelter guests find permanent housing.

If you or someone you know needs a safe place to stay for the night, Roof 25 is open from 8pm to 8am every night of the week.

You will find us at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 25 Phoenix St, Bridgewater.

Video description: Krista, Shelter Manager, sitting in her office sharing about the Roof 25 program and how it helps with homelessness in the community.