PETERBOROUGH, ON, Dec 8, 2023 — In partnership with Elizabeth Fry Society and Habitat
for Humanity PKR, Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) is launching “Ready for Home”
a pilot program at 385 Lansdowne St. Ready for Home is a Clothing Hub and Supply Depot
where participants and volunteers work in collaboration 1 day a week to clean, repair and
package clothing items and basic supplies to help people experiencing homelessness survive
the winter. The program gives individuals with barriers to housing a meaningful way to build
community, learn and practice skills and contribute back where there is need.
Donated items are dropped off by appointment, processed on-site and redistributed to existing
Peterborough charities and organizations. Donated items are not available from the Lansdowne
location but are processed through the supply hub so that the generosity of Peterborough
citizens can provide additional support to other street-level efforts over the coldest months of
the year.
Community volunteers work side-by-side with participants in a relationship-first approach. The
Ready for Home program, with the support of The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough,
accommodates existing goals with individual coaching being provided for each program
participant. PATH continues to conduct all due-diligences with site grading and zoning
requirements to construct sleeping cabins on the property which they are leasing through the
generous support of Habitat for Humanity PKR.
“We are thrilled to be using the space to create this program while we keep pressing forward
with the approval process for constructing our cabin community. Having a small number of
participants enrolled in this weekly program allows us to build the kind of community we hope
for once members are able to live on site. The goal has always been to have an array of skillbuilding
activities within a tiny home community as participants work toward more stable
housing solutions,” noted Margaret Slavin, interim Board Chair for PATH.
“The Ready for Home program creates a place for participants to learn skills, gain trust with the
local Ashburnham community and spend at least one day a week out of the cold and in a
warm, dry facility, where basics like food and running water are accessible. It also provides
clean, warm clothing items to others that can literally save lives in the harsh winter conditions,”
says Marion Burton, Chair of PATH’s Steering Committee.
For more information about PATH or the Ready for Home program email inquires to
pathadm22@gmail.com. For information about how to donate or volunteer, visit
www.pathptbo.org