An emergency meeting was held by the board of directors at Samaritan House Ministries on Tuesday (Oct 11), as the organization’s Safe and Warm Shelter has reached a critical point in operational capacity, this according to a news release today.
“Fearing severe negative outcomes, Executive Director Barbara McNish notes that the centre has been operating at its highest level of usage since inception. “Our occupancy permit is set at 41 clients. We can’t exceed this number. We have an obligation to our stakeholders, to our staff and most importantly to the clients who access the centre to ensure that we don’t exceed capacity.”
Were the centre to operate above that level, there are potential consequences for the safety of staff and clients alike, as well as financial or legal consequences should something escalate beyond the means of the on-duty staff. Allowing higher numbers could also lead to a closure of the centre due to violation of the occupancy permit.
Early indicators show that this year’s needs are significantly more pronounced, says McNish. “So far in 2022 we’ve already served close to 400 unique clients in the Safe and Warm Shelter. Our hamper usage has also increased, with over 700 hampers prepared each week so far in October. These are strong signals that our community is not prepared for extreme weather events this coming winter.”
October, so far, has been above seasonal temperatures, fortunately delaying the peak usage of shelters in Manitoba. But other shelters have closed due to funding, such as in Portage la Prairie, and shelters in Winnipeg and elsewhere in the province are already turning clients away.
“We have already reached out to contacts at several levels of government, and we are reaching out to community groups and indigenous leaders to help us find a path forward,” added McNish. “We are calling on everyone involved to look at this situation with urgency as days of warmer weather are quickly coming to pass.”
The Safe and Warm Shelter is operated by Samaritan House Ministries at 820 Pacific Avenue, 7 days a week and opens at 7pm to bring the shelterless in overnight. Clients are given bedding, toiletries and a meal or snack as is available. It operates on funds donated from the community and The United Way, as well as grants provided by different levels of government.”
