City funds additional warming services during cold weather

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed January 29, 2023 2:00 PM

Summary

With temperatures dropping due to arctic outflow beginning Saturday night, the City of Nanaimo is assisting people in need of warming services. The City will provide funds for existing organizations to extend their hours of service. City staff and RCMP members will be on the street increasing coverage of wellness checks and providing warming supplies.

Additional service hours are as follows: 7-10 Club Society (at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Chapel Street) will be open from 7 am to 7 pm during cold on Monday, Jan. 30 and Tuesday, Jan. 31, and can assist 30 to 40 people at one time. Open Monday to Friday. Regular warming hours are 10 am to 7 pm.

Unitarian Shelter offers 27 overnight shelter beds and during extreme cold, offers daytime warming centre services to their shelter guests only.

Risebridge, in response to the cold, will operate from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm on Sunday, Jan. 29 and Monday, Jan. 30. Regular warming hours are 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm every day.

The City of Nanaimo provides funding to 7-10 Club and Risebridge for daytime warming centres for people experiencing homelessness, and to the Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter to assist overnight guests with daytime service as needed. Funding comes from a Union of BC Municipalities ‘Strengthening Communities’ Services program grant to the City to support daytime cold and hot extreme weather service.

The following services are also available:

Salvation Army has 35 overnight shelter beds and daytime access only for existing shelter guests. Samaritan Place has added five additional beds during extreme cold in addition to its existing 14 beds. St Peter’s Winter Shelter now has 34 beds open 8 pm to 7:30 am.

In addition, the City’s Community Safety Officers (CSO) will be working extended hours. A team of CSOs will be on and performing wellness checks until 2:30 am, with the next shift starting at 4 am. CSO’s have been handing out warming supplies, cold weather clothing and hot drinks as needed. RCMP members are also performing wellness checks, offering assistance and coordinating response with CSO's.

Visit www.nanaimo.ca/goto/supports for a full list of drop-in and indoor meal services.

Link to Strategic Plan: Providing warming opportunities contributes to a livable community for all.

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