As winter weather looms, those without a place to stay will have again have access to an emergency weather shelter.
B.C. Housing has given the go-ahead for the Sunshine Coast Salvation Army to start designing a budget to run the shelter from the Salvation Army office in Gibsons from November to April, 2010.
"There is a need for shelter here on the Sunshine Coast. There is homelessness and these people need to be helped," said Salvation Army Captain Sandra Rowsell.
On nights of extreme winds, rain, snow or temperatures below 0 degrees C, the Salvation Army will open its doors at 682 Gibsons Way from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Guests will be offered a warm meal and a cot for the night.
Cheri Fouts, business administrator for the Salvation Army, is still ironing out the finances as well as partnerships with the Sunshine Coast Regional District to provide bus tickets and passes to use the showers at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre.
New this year, the shelter will make kennels available for guests' pets, something that may have kept people away last year, according to Fouts.
"Last year, that was a big thing about the homeless. Forty per cent of them have pets, and there was nothing we could do for them, so this year it's going to be better," Fouts said.
Last year's drop-in numbers for the shelter were lower than expected but Fouts said, if the increased demand at the food bank is any indication, the shelter will be busier this year as well.
The shelter isn't the only place to go to get out of the cold, though. Back again this year is the drop-in centre at the Calvary Baptist Church on Park Road during afternoon hours. Church co-ordinator and volunteer Bill Beamish said the guests will be welcomed at 4 p.m. for a comfortable place to stay before the shelter opens at 7 p.m. Guests will be offered a meal and have access to books, board games and playing cards. The church will also provide towels and toiletries for guests to use at the neighbouring community centre showers.
Beamish said the church had a few regular visitors last year but the numbers of drop-ins is not the point.
"As long as there is one person, there is a need. It's all volunteer time. It's not costing us anything. We will be there and if anybody needs to get warm, get out of the weather, have a hot meal, that will be available to them," he said.
According to surveys conducted by an extreme weather emergency shelter advisory group, there are about 35 people on the Coast who can be classified as homeless. Some couch surf, some have a home only for the short-term, others sleep in a vehicle and some sleep outside or in a tent.
Once at either shelter, guests will have the chance to be connected to various community services including mental health, addictions, needle exchange and housing services where possible.
"Some people have heat other people don't have heat or regular showers or cooking facilities," said Eleonora Molnar, co-chair of the advisory group. "It's incredibly hard to find, but somehow there are miracles at work, and [housing] can be found."
