WINNIPEG — Winnipeg’s largest homeless shelter issued an urgent appeal for donations Thursday after a sprinkler head broke and soaked part of the facility, damaging medical supplies and two or three pallets of food.
Fire crews responded to Siloam Mission on 300 Princess St. at 9 a.m. They found “significant water damage caused by a frozen sprinkler head in the medical supply room of Saul Sair Health Centre,” Siloam said in a news release.
“Many of our folks depend on that (the health centre) as their health-care provider, so when you’re not able to provide that it can really disrupt the lives of the people using those services,” Siloam executive director Floyd Perras told Global News.
Water also leaked into the basement, where donated food and clothing are kept.
“Clothing is an essential service his time of year, so we’ll have to figure that out,” Perras said.
The morning fire alarm forced about 400 people who had found shelter at Siloam to scramble back out onto the frozen streets. Siloam opened a temporary location at 303 Stanley St. where patrons and staff could escape the cold. Everyone returned to the Princess Street facility by the afternoon.
“We are still able to accept donations, and we are especially appreciative of peoples’ generosity at times like this. We ask for patience and compassion as we work through this crisis. We are focused on making Winnipeg’s less fortunate feel at home for the holidays. We are striving not to let this setback affect our Christmas dinner. We are so grateful for all the support and donations people can offer,” Perras said.
The cost of damages could reach $25,000.
Donations can be dropped off at 300 Princess St., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have donations to drop off at other times, please call ahead or contact staff inside the drop-in centre and they will assist you.
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