By ERIC BUNNELL TIMES-JOURNALPosted 19 hours agoA new homeless shelter already is proving its need, organizers say. Inn Out of the Cold opened Oct. 1 in St. Thomas and welcomed its first guests on its fourth night at Central United Church, Wellington Street. "I think it already has allowed us to feel we're providing a service that was needed," says Ken Brooks, a member of the shelter's board of directors and a frequent speaker on the initiative. By Friday, the shelter had accommodated four persons.Inn Out of the Cold offers supper, a social time, an overnight bed, and breakfast. Shower facilities are being installed, but are not yet ready. The shelter is for both men and women. But first guests were men. "They were in various circumstances," Brooks said. "They were young and middle-aged, going through different issues in their lives." The shelter, which opens daily at 6 p.m., welcomed its first guests after three days of cool and inclement weather and Brooks said he thinks numbers will grow as awareness of the service increases, and as weather becomes less hospitable for anyone sleeping out-of-doors. "I think as the word spreads and it gets colder, we'll see more people," Brooks said. The shelter closes its doors at 10 p.m. although it will accept after-hours referrals from police. The need for a shelter program in the community was identified in 2009 in a study of community capacity undertaken under auspices of Community Matters, a multi-agency group established by United Way of Elgin-St. Thomas. It's modelled on a program in Woodstock. Inn Out of the Cold offers 10 beds on site, but can accommodate as many as 20 guests. Brooks said the shelter needs volunteers for food prep and service, hospitality, and overnight. To become involved, contact Don Hopkins at 519-633-2638 ext. 220 or by e-mail at innoutofthecoldelgin@gmail.com |
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