Winter Inn is in need of seasonal clothing for clients
Several men wait for the doors to open outside the Adventist Centre Winter Inn program in Red Deer’s downtown Tuesday night.
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Updated: November 19, 2010 7:40 AM
Gloves, socks and tuques are desperately needed for a program that provides emergency shelter for people with nowhere to spend the night in Red Deer.
Winter Inn, co-ordinated by the Safe Harbour Society with help from four downtown churches, provides between 20 and 30 spaces per night for adults who are left out in the cold.
The amount of space available on any given night depends on which of the four churches is being used, said Colleen Markus, emergency services director for Safe Harbour Society.
Winter Inn is rotated between the St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Potter’s Hands, Salvation Army and Adventist Centre, said Markus. Each church takes its turn on specific nights of the week, with 20 spaces available when it’s the Salvation Army or the Adventist Church’s turn, or 30 when it rotates to either of the other two.
Youth Winter Inn, operated from the Youth and Volunteer Centre on 49th Street, runs a similar program for teenagers, with mats and space for up to 10 people.
Now averaging 18 people per night, there is space available in the adult program at this point, but the situation may tighten up as weather worsens, said Markus.
So far, Winter Inn staff have taken in six people who had not previously used any of the services offered by Safe Harbour.
Markus said her immediate concern is that the people using the program do not have adequate protection from the weather when they go back outside.
It would be a great help if anyone who has men’s and women’s gloves, tuques and hats could offer them to the program, said Markus.
She is also looking for individuals and groups who may be able to offer light snacks for people coming in from the cold.
Anyone interested in helping out is asked to contact Markus during business hours at 403-347-0181.
bkossowan@reddeeradvocate.com
