Warming centre for homeless to open

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This article was published 30/12/2018 (2787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An emergency overnight warming centre, which operates out of an Osborne Village church, will expand Tuesday when it opens for a third year.

Just a Warm Sleep, which is organized by a local group of charities called 1JustCity, operates out of the Augustine United Church at 109 Pulford St. Beginning Jan. 1, the warming centre will be open every night until March 31.

“In the past, we were only open when it was super cold outside, but we’ll be expanding things this year, including adding a housing co-ordinator which will give us more referral abilities and supports that we can offer,” said Tessa Blaikie-Whitecloud, executive director of 1JustCity.

The space can accommodate as many as 25 adults and intake will happen nightly from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Guests, who are admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis, are expected to leave by 7 a.m.

“So far it hasn’t been at capacity, but during our first year our busiest night was the same as what an average night was in the second year. So either the need is growing or more people are becoming aware of the service,” Blaikie-Whitecloud said.

The centre features a few unique aspects that separate it from other options in the city for those who find themselves without a place to sleep at night.

Guests are allowed to take dogs and shopping carts inside with them. Blaikie-Whitecould doesn’t think that is offered anywhere else in Winnipeg. In addition, guests don’t have to be sober, as they do at Siloam Mission, although substance use is not allowed at the site.

On Sunday, volunteers gathered at the centre to knit sleeping mats out of reused plastic grocery bags in advance of Tuesday’s opening.

“Right now we have 15 mats, but we have the capacity to serve up to 25 people. So we’re relying on volunteers to come help out. We had a good turn out last year for this event,” Blaikie-Whitecloud said.

“It’s very time-consuming, but essentially the process is to turn an average plastic grocery bag into plastic yarn and then that can be used to make the sleeping mats.”

She said the organization has been educating students about homelessness and the kids have chipped to help turn plastic bags into plastic yarn for the sleeping mats.

During her time organizing Just a Warm Sleep, Blaikie-Whitecloud said it has become apparent there’s not only a lack of beds for Winnipeg’s homeless community, there’s also a shortage of choice. That’s because complicating factors can render certain shelters off-limits for people, she said.

“We don’t have enough beds, but sometimes with the beds we do have, those choices are compounded by things like someone who maybe doesn’t feel safe because an ex-domestic partner who has been violent to them is there,” Blaikie-Whitecloud said.

“Or other people will say, ‘I’ve been beat up by someone who stays there and I don’t feel comfortable seeing them.’ So it’s not only that we don’t have enough beds, but it’s also about having enough beds with enough choice. And right now we don’t.”

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe