Ame Papatsie wanders over to The Bench with a smile on his face and a hug for its keeper, Ed Pickersgill, the 73-year-old anti-poverty activist who stands to the side keeping track of who comes and who goes.
The Bench is a black steel city sidewalk bench on upper Wyndham Street where Pickersgill and two volunteers provide useful items to those that need them but can’t afford them for 30 minutes every weekday.
Then they pack it all up before returning the next day.
“I just call it The Bench. And I capitalize it,” says Pickersgill.
Bread, bottles of water, protein bars, drink supplements, feminine hygiene products and, on a good day, fruit. All packed in plastic tote bins for easy transport.
On this day another volunteer has come along to do the taxes for a visitor.
“This is community, people helping one another,” says Papatsie, a talented Inuit artist who splits his time between Guelph and Baffin Island.
“It’s a good thing. No judgment. Just sharing and kindness,” he adds in between grabbing a protein bar and joking with Pickersgill.
On average The Bench sees around 35 visitors a day between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. On some winter days ,when money is running short, it has hit 50 visitors.
Most are regulars and Pickersgill, who keeps meticulous notes in a tattered hardback notepad that is falling apart at the spine, said he has had 173 different people use The Bench since January.
“I know who they are. I’ve known most of them for years,” says Pickersgill.
And they know who he is and what he offers.
“When you’re surviving on the street, you know what’s available,” he says.
For nine years he provided an expanded version at 40 Baker St., a place where the city’s marginalized could find food, clothing and a safe, social space.
When new tenants rented the entire building, Pickersgill and his friends were out.
For six months he set up tables on the sidewalk outside 40 Baker, but eventually left that location after the new tenants moved in.
Now it’s The Bench, although last winter they operated from a porch on Woolwich Street that gave some shelter from the elements.
“People found us. Word gets around,” he said.
Ideally Pickersgill would like to set up again inside. Somewhere with storage and refrigeration.
He said he receives financial support from 50 individuals to do what he does, down from 130 when they were at 40 Baker.
He thinks if they got an indoor space then the number of supporters would increase back to the point where there would be enough to cover the rent.
Finding that space is the problem.
“Last fall me and a real estate agent friend checked out every vacant space in downtown, but no one would rent to us,” Pickersgill said.
“They love me. But they’re nervous about my visitors.”
There are several other agencies operating in the Downtown Guelph core that offer extended services to those in need.
But Pickersgill said there is still gaps in the system and many of the people he sees can’t take a week’s worth of groceries with them. Or large items.
“Most of the people who come here don’t have somewhere to store stuff for two or three days, never mind two weeks,” Pickersgill says.
The Bench has its challenges.
With no refrigeration or storage space, and having to lug it out to the bench on a daily basis, he can’t take too many donations, although small, useful items are welcome.
But it serves a need. Pickersgill knows it and those using it show it.
“Can I take two?” a man asks, reaching into a grocery bag full of Cliff bars.
Pickersgill nods.
“Thanks brother!” he says before pedaling off on his bike.
