Cold snap raises demand for warm beds

By DARREN HANDSCHUHSaturday, January 13, 2007 http://www.dailycourier.ca/article_871.php
For the second time this winter, the Okanagan has been plunged into cold storage, leaving the homeless and those who help them looking for warm places to stay.The mercury plunged into the minus double digits this week, making living outside even more challenging.Vernon's Upper Room Mission outreach worker Bev Henke said The Shelter and Howard House are making room."One of the churches has given money to open up some hotel rooms as well," said Henke, who estimates there are about 200 homeless people living in the city of 37,000.Henke said a lot of people are going to the mission just to stay warm, but others are not."I'm more concerned about those who do not come in and walk the streets all night to stay warm," said Henke.

One of the challenges is to find a place for women to stay. The Shelter is a co-ed facility, but has a limited number of beds.The Anglican church has been trying to establish a shelter just for women, but that is not expected to open until next week at the earliest.Henke said approximately 30 per cent of the homeless in Vernon are women.

In Kelowna, Gospel Mission executive director Randy Benson said the mission houses 60-70 people a night.If more room is needed, mats will be placed on the floor for additional bedding.During the last cold snap, the mission placed mats in the administration offices for women, but Benson said this time In From the Cold has taken the female street population.Heather Karabelas and Peggy Salaberry run In From the Cold, and they said business is busier than usual."We had to use every resource we had in terms of mats and bedding," said Salaberry, adding some people even slept on stacks of blankets when the mats ran out.

The group offers shelter to men and women, but Salaberry said "we don't have a great number of women who come to us."Because the mission takes men, Salaberry said IFTC makes women a priority."It's hardship time, for sure," said Salaberry. "There are a lot of colds out there, and if you can't rest, you can't get better."According to the Environment Canada website, the weather is supposed to remain cold well into next week.