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More beds added at men’s hostel

With the possible eviction of squatters from their False Creek tent city and record-setting rainfall battering the city, the Catholic Charities Men’s Hostel, with provincial funding, has opened 10 additional beds during the cold and wet weather period from now through March 2004.

That means that for the next several months, the Men’s Hostel has the capacity to provide 90 beds a night to homeless men.

Government officials and shelter operators hope the 10 extra beds in the Catholic Charities building at Robson and Cambie Streets in Vancouver, along with other shelters opening cold/wet weather beds, will help provide an alternative for the tent dwellers, whose situation was to be debated on Thursday by Vancouver City Council.

With the province and city officials looking for ways to combine their resources and expand the number of shelter spots available, the Catholic Charities Men’s Hostel will set aside five beds specifically for those who may come from the tent city.

If the tent people don’t request service within the normal time of registering, those beds will be released on a first-come, first-served basis to those seeking shelter.

Meanwhile, the record-setting deluge of the past week has highlighted the importance of the Extreme Weather Response Planning Project. The project brings members of Lower Mainland communities together to plan for extra temporary shelter for use during storms and winter cold snaps when temperatures plummet below zero.

The Extreme Weather Response Planning Project, along with the organization Gather and Give, are involved in ongoing planning and developing of strategies to provide for the homeless. During the hottest days of summer, staff were preparing for the coming winter.

As a result of the project, extra spots will be located primarily in churches, community facilities, and in some cases, existing shelters, which have been able to find some space. Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster, and Langley all have Extreme Weather Response Plans that together will provide shelter for an additional 300 people during extreme winter weather.

Through Extreme Weather Response Plans, hot food, clothing, blankets, and footwear will also be distributed locally to help the homeless combat the cold and prevent hypothermia and critical illness. These efforts supplement the $12.5 million the provincial government spends to provide over 700 hostel and shelter beds year-round and an additional 250 beds in the winter.

Jennifer Legare of Gather and Give urged anyone cleaning out their closets and storage or sorting through their children’s clothes to consider sending unneeded items to the group, which serves as a redistribution centre for donated goods.

“We have had a steady stream of goods coming into the warehouse throughout the summer, but we will need a lot more before we are ready for the winter season.” Blankets and sleeping bags are particularly needed as they are in high demand during the winter, said Legare.

While Gather and Give provides donated clothing and shoes to homeless shelters all year round, one of the organization’s main goals is to provide winter clothing, footwear, and blankets during extreme winter weather. The organization stocks sleeping bags, blankets, and other cold/wet weather items to ensure there is a good supply for homeless shelters during cold weather spells.

To donate, call 637-2250.