Vernon's homeless residents are assured a warm place to sleep during frigid weather this winter. Kelly Fehr, manager of the 25 bed Gateway shelter, says they've been turning away about ten people a day, but the overflow is able to go to the Upper Room Mission. "The Upper Room Mission, when its minus one of lower, BC Housing will fund emergency mats on the floors so when the Gateway has to turn people away they can go and use that program." The Mission has a maximum of 20 mats for men and women. Fehr says there's still about eight homeless camps around the city where people aren't coming in to use the shelters, for mental health reasons or because they consider the camps as their home. "So The John Howard Society has two individuals that are going out to the camps to try and encourage them to come in." Fehr says the public can do their part help by donating blankets to the Upper Room Mission, along with coats, gloves and wools socks to the shelter which is located on 33rd Street near the Great Canadian Wholesale Club.
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