Demand proved to be a challenge, but the Ark Aid Street Mission’s Out of the Cold program now has more space to shelter those experiencing homelessness in London thanks to the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario.
When the Middlesex-London Health Unit announced a cold weather advisory late last week, The Ark says it began work to provide warm places for people in need to stay.
The Ark was able to offer 17 beds over the weekend, but ended up having to turn people away Sunday night.
“On Monday, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario centre branch — Jacki (Kostuk), for those of you who know her — she reached out and said, ‘Hey, we’re closed, we have space, let’s partner and do this together,'” the Ark’s executive director Sarah Campbell told Global News.
“And so because we partnered, we doubled our capacity and (Tuesday) night opened for the first time at the Y with up to 40 spaces available.”
Campbell says they had a lineup when they opened and had over 30 people come throughout the night, including 24 who stayed the whole night through.
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Andrew Lockie, CEO of the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, says the Y was ready to shift resources to help.
“We understand it is an incredibly important time for people to come together and support their communities. As a multi-service charity, we continuously seek opportunities to support our communities in spirit, mind, and body,” Lockie said.
“We are grateful that we can be of assistance to Ark and the people they serve in providing a safe and warm shelter during these extreme cold temperatures.”
The Out of the Cold program is expected to run until Monday, as cold temperatures persist. Environment Canada is forecasting overnight lows ranging from -11C to -14C before factoring in the wind chill on Wednesday through to Monday.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has created extra challenges for outreach to populations experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Campbell says organizations have had to balance the risks associated with COVID-19 and making sure that basic needs are available, offering access to bathrooms, for example, even when they weren’t open for programming.
She also mentioned the “amazing network of organizations and people” in the city who are all working together to help.
“You know, people aren’t going to sit inside of a Tim Hortons this winter, they’re not going to find a mall to hang out in,” Campbell began.
“It’s really through the police doing foot patrol; London Cares who has an outreach team all night long… daytime warming centres that the city provided as part of their winter response and so they directed people as they closed up for this nighttime opportunity. And as shelters were closing their spaces and full, they were able to divert folks and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you try this location?'”
As of midday Wednesday, Campbell says there are only a few volunteering positions left.
“London is one of the most responsive cities and as long as people know, they’re responding! We have 80 per cent of our volunteer slots filled within 24 hours. There are a few positions still available,” she said.
“It’s been amazing to see people step up and just fill in those support roles. It’s not that we necessarily need as many people as are on the volunteer list, but many hands make light work and it also creates more safety for everyone when there’s a good group of volunteers present.”
She explained that volunteering positions generally involve three roles: food, snacks, and drinks; greeting people and helping them with access to basic needs; and monitoring the space.
For anyone looking to donate, she says they’re looking for men’s and women’s jogging suits, warm clothes, winter boots, gloves and mittens.
“And the normal places people might go to get those things like the Mission store or other organizations that support some of our homeless, they’re not open to receive the donations. And so we’ve just been doing it directly through the Ark and at the Y so people can donate those items during business hours to both the Y centre branch or here at the Ark.”
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