Homeless drop-in centre The Open Door relocates to church on Parc Ave.

After spending three decades on Ste-Catherine Street near Atwater Metro andCabot Square, TheOpen Door homeless shelterhasmoved to a new home on Parc Avenue.

Following news that the original location, St. Stephen's Anglican Church, was going to be sold, the shelter's administrators started looking for a new place to set up.

Volunteers gathered Friday to help packand move the operation toNotre-Dame De LaSaletteChurch, on the corner of Parc Avenue and Milton Street.

The Open Door is one of the few "wet" sheltersin the city, accepting clients that othersturn away due to intoxicationor struggleswith addiction.

The centre offers a wide variety of services including food, clothing, counsellingand a safe place to rest or get warm.

Roughly half of the 150 people who come to TheOpen Door daily are Inuit, so the centrealso offerscarving, housing and transition programs forthose hopingto return north.

The Open Door's new space in the basement of Notre-Dame-de-la-SaletteChurch has some upgrades from the old one, like a better kitchen, more office spaceand showers.

But it's far from the old site about a 40-minute walk from Cabot Square, where many of the shelter's clientele congregate.

David Chapman, acting director of The Open Door, said he's hoping the centre will still be able to fill the needs of the community.

"While there is a chapter that's ending, there's also a new chapter that's beginning," he said.

When the new location was announced in July, some residents launched a petitionciting concerns over a possible influx of homeless people into the area.

"Neighbourhood after neighbourhood that we've looked at, it's the same response no real surprise. Most people like the idea of services for the homeless, they just don't like the idea of having it in theirneighbourhood," said Chapman.

The Open Door signed a five-year lease agreement with Notre-Dame-de-la-SaletteChurch.

Elliot Kerr, who teaches at Dawson College, said hewas sad to see The Open Door move out of the neighbourhood. Hevolunteered to lend a handduring the move on Friday.

"I just found out that they needed cars, and people, to move today. I happen to not teach on Fridays, so I thought I'd show up and help out," he said.