(Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

emergency shelters

Team effort for Kamloops shelter operators during snowy, cold snap

Jan 17, 2024 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS – It’s been a team effort for shelter operators since temperatures dropped last week and BC Housing initiated cold weather spaces. After last year’s Point-in-Time count, many anticipated a shortage of shelter beds come winter, but operators say community collaboration has been the lifeline for many living on the streets.

Thirty cots set up at the Kamloops Alliance Church are the only option for many of the vulnerable populations living on the North Shore.

“There are no other shelters on the North Shore – we discovered this last year when we partnered with the Mustard Seed, that they were seeing guests that they had never seen before,” said Diane Down, Missional Engagement Pastor at Kamloops Alliance Church. “There are some folks who don’t cross the bridge for whatever reason, and so we’re delighted to be able to provide that hub on the North Shore for folks who may not get services elsewhere.”

The Kamloops church operates as an emergency shelter when temperatures drop below -10 C or there is at least five centimetres of snow.

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“We will remain open for quite a while, even if the temperature warms up a little bit, because it’s still very difficult to be outside when it’s wet and soggy and you’re trying to stay warm,” Down said. “In the last couple of nights, we’ve definitely seen more incidents of frostbite on our guests.”

Including emergency beds, Kamloops has 194 shelter spaces, while last year’s Point-in-Time count identified 312 homeless individuals.

“It’s proven not to be enough (beds),” said director of operations for The Mustard Seed, Nyasha Manyanye. “That’s something that we are going to continue advocating, as The Mustard Seed, to just make sure there’s more space is being provided for those who are experiencing homelessness and being vulnerable on the streets.“

Outreach workers, volunteers and shelter operators have been in constant communication since the cold snap began, coordinating the pickup and drop off of guests, and making sure every bed is filled.

“A lot of communication has been going on just to make sure that nobody is left stranded, sleeping in the cold or dying in the cold,” Manyanye said. “As shelter operators, we’ve been able to talk to each other and to make sure that we fill up all the spaces.”

A slight decrease in guests has been seen at the emergency shelters since the weather has moderated, but the emergency shelters will be on call until March.