Need Help?
The Brunswick Street Mission provides several services and direct supports, listed below.
If our services aren't what you need, we may be able help find related supports through other organizations.
Our offices are open to Mon to Fri 9am-2pm at 2107 Brunswick St. Click here for map.
Please visit or call 423-4605 if you wish to discuss your specific needs. Please note: we are not able to advise or assist via email.
Who can we help?
The Brunswick Street Mission seeks to address poverty, and our services are primarily meant for those who struggle with poverty. Different programs may address different aspects of poverty. For example our hot breakfast is ideal for persons who are homeless, whereas the Food Bank is for people who have a home and may not be able to attend meal programs.
Some of our programs have different eligibility requirements, which will be explained in the descriptions below.
Nervous about seeking help?
If you've never had to ask for help before, we hope this will make it easier:
- We promote acceptance, not judgment. We know that a person seeking help may have complicated histories, and may be struggling with addiction, mental illness, disability, and may have past "mistakes" to overcome.
- We welcome and celebrate the differences that make us human. We will not treat you differently or deny support based on appearance, race, religion or gender-identification.
- We respect your privacy. We try to keep things simple, and avoid putting people through un-necessary processes. Some of our programs do require certain information or applications – we promise your information will only be disclosed to others with your permission (but note: these programs may not be able to help if you do not give permission).
- While we can't promise that we will always be able to help, we can promise to welcome you, treat you with respect, and do our very best.
What We Do
Hot Breakfast
A hot breakfast is served 6 mornings a week; Monday to Saturday, including holidays. Breakfast menu changes daily.
Open for Coffee at 6am. Breakfast is served from 7am-8am. (Note: at 8am, leftovers are distributed – don't be late!)
Click here for a list of other meals available in HRM
Who is it for: All are welcome. There is no application process, and no questions asked. Many of our guests are homeless, and many are not.
Accessibility: The dining room is accessed by an outdoor staircase. A wheelchair-accessible side door can be opened for special needs; it is accessed by a fairly steep driveway off Barrington St. and must be arranged in advance by calling the office.
Clothing Centre
Open Monday and Wednesday most of the year.
Days & hours are often reduced in summer and in December – call for updates. Closed for Holidays.
UPDATE
Due to Christmas Programming
the Clothing Centre will be
Closed Dec 5 to Jan 5th
Reopening Jan 8th.
If you urgently need outdoorwear
Pls call 423 4605
The clothing centre offers a wide selection of used clothing for all ages, at no cost. We rotate supplies by season, and work with community supporters to suggest items of greatest need.
Most clothing is on racks or in bins, you are encouraged to "shop" and we do not limit goods which are in sufficient supply. Some goods are in greater demand, and may be limited – ask our volunteers if there is something you need that is not on display.
Besides clothing we also try to keep bedding, towels and kitchen necessities available – especially for those who may be moving from a shelter to their own home, or have had to leave their belongings due to fire, family breakup, or other problems.
Click here to donate clothing and household items
Who is it for: If you feel you have to make difficult choices on a limited income, then we hope these donated goods will help stretch your budget. There is no application process – all are welcome.
Accessibility: The clothing centre is accessed by an indoor staircase. A wheelchair-accessible side door can be opened for special needs; it is accessed by a fairly steep driveway off Barrington St. and must be arranged in advance by calling the office.
Food Bank
Thursday's 10-12. Closed on major holidays.
Pre-register by phone on Wedneday between 9am and 2pm, if possible.
The foodbank provides a supporting grocery order to assist persons on limited income who do have a home. Feed Nova Scotia delivers provides most of the food on Thursday morning, and we divide it fairly to serve our expected number of guests. The food provided is dependent on what has been donated; it rarely includes meat or dairy, but often includes vegetables and breads. The amount provided is usually enough for several days. As a person cannot receive food support more often than once a month, the food bank should be viewed as a supplement to your food budget.
Sometimes there is not enough to help everyone – that's why we ask you to pre-register. We also ask that you take only what you need, so that others may also receive support.
Who is it for: If you feel you have to make difficult choices on a limited income, we will not ask for proof of income. We will require a NS Health Card and proof of address. You may also register others living in the same home, but will need to bring a NS Health Card for all children and adults, plus proof of address for the adults. Call us ahead if you are new to Nova Scotia and do not yet have a Health Card.
You will be required to sign a paper agreeing to be entered into a central database maintained by Feed Nova Scotia. This database helps us insure that everyone receives a fair share of the available food.
Accessibility: The Food Bank operates on the street level, and is accessible by a small exterior ramp.
Income Tax Filing and GST Application
Call for schedule of availability.
Like many organizations, we offer a free volunteer-based income tax programs available during the tax season, and we also offer some unusual supports that you may need. First, we can "solve" many common challenges like lost documents (see Note below). Second, we can catch up on multiple years. Finally we offer the service all year long.
Our goal is to make the process as simple and pain-free for you as possible. You will need to provide, at a minimum: your name, a Social Insurance Number and Date of Birth, and sign a "release" allowing us to process your return. During tax season, we will have routine scheduled tax clinics, out-of-season we may set up different schedules depending on demand. Either way, please call ahead for up-to-date advice.
Note: The accuracy of the return and the amount of refund may be lessened if full T4's T5's and other documents are not made available.
Who is it for: The service is intended for low-income individuals and their families. We are not able to complete business returns, but may be able to assist if self-employed.
Accessibility: The Income Tax Filing and GST Application service operates on the street level, and is accessible by a small exterior ramp.
Trusteeship
Trustee is available 11am-2pm Monday-Friday
A Trustee is someone who receives your income and pays your most important bills first before giving you the remainder. This program may be helpful to you in a number of ways, and in many cases has prevented power cut-offs and evictions that can lead to homelessness.
The Trustee can help negotiate with landlords. If you are homeless and have no references, or didn't pay your previous landlord, we can often convince a landlord to give you a chance. If you have fallen behind in your present rent, we can often negotiate a payment plan that prevents eviction. Likewise if you have fallen behind on your power bill, we can usually negotiate a plan with Nova Scotia Power that will allow you to pay it down over a period.
Who is it for: Trusteeship is for persons on Social Assistance, and most clients are referred by their case worker. Trusteeship is especially useful for people who struggle with addiction in any form, who are vulnerable to other people manipulating them, and for those who are constantly forced to "rob Peter to pay Paul". Trusteeship is not right for everyone; we'd be happy to discuss your needs, and advise if it might be right for you.
Accessibility: The Trustee service operates on the street level, and is accessible by a small exterior ramp.
Benevolent Program (Financial Crisis).
Tuesdays & Thursdays 9am-2pm. May vary according to volunteer availability – please call ahead if possible.
The benevolent program assists with one-time urgent financial needs. Although we don't narrowly define what kind of expenses we help with, the most common requests are rent and power. We may be able to help with sudden employment expenses like work-boots or registration fees, or help a woman relocate to escape from a violent partner.
Unfortunately, we receive more requests for support than we can assess or assist. We may refer you elsewhere, especially if there is a more appropriate service (like Salvation Army's Good Neighbor Program). If you are facing an ongoing challenge, we may also refer to the Trustee Program (above) in order to help you prevent reoccurring crisis.
If you are looking for financial assistance, you need to know that we will look into each case in detail, and you may be required to give permission for us to talk to people who can confirm the facts or can help in various other ways. You also need to know that we never will give money to the person applying – we pay directly to the company – a landlord, Nova Scotia Power, etc.
Who is it for: the program is for people with low-income who may be at risk of homelessness or other serious outcomes if support is not found.
Accessibility: The Benevolent program operates on the street level, and is accessible by a small exterior ramp.
If you would like to make an online donation to support this work, please click on :
