Frigid temperatures challenging for Winnipeg homeless shelters

WINNIPEG — With outside temperatures plunging, the Salvation Army is hoping a holiday dinner this evening will keep residents warm and their spirits high.

The organization is expecting to feed over 1,000 people Wednesday evening.

“It’s open to anybody who wants to come down. We’re going to keep serving dinners as people keep coming through,” Rob Kerr with the Salvation Army said.

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It’s a massive effort from volunteers – and with dangerously frigid temperatures, the need is at an all time high to accommodate Winnipeg’s homeless.

“We have 50 beds and they are full but that doesn’t mean we are turning people away,” Kerr said.

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However at Siloam Mission, they are forced to turn away up to 30 people every evening.

“The challenge of getting people inside, getting people warm, keeping them safe is tough,” Garry Corbett, CEO said.

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It’s a situation that is especially unsettling for Corbett when temperatures are reaching up to -35 C overnight.

“Around our blocks here, we can find little sleeping areas where people are spending the night outside,” Corbett said.

Salvation Army and Siloam Mission will be collecting cash donations over the holidays in an effort to keep as many people off the streets as possible.