A warming centre that provides food, shelter and shower facilities to serve the city’s homeless population adjacent to the Moccasin Flats encampment is now providing 24/7 service.
Shelter operator AWAC (Association Advocating for Women and Community) pooled its funding sources with BC Housing and the non-profit Connective to reopen the warming centre on Tuesday.
It had 10 overnight guests on opening day Tuesday and on Wednesday, with bitter blustery cold arriving in the city, 40 people camped overnight in the 1,500 square-foot facility.
“That’s one person for every degree of cold it got last night,” quipped one man who slept in the shelter.
Originally established last summer by UNDU (Uniting Northern Drug Users), the warming centre space was leased month-to-month. Now the funding is in place to offer something more permanent, where healthcare professionals will have safe access to clients.
Executive director Connie Abe said AWAC secured funding from the Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association (PGNAETA), enough to hire two support workers every shift to keep the wellness/warming centre operating eight hours each day. When BC Housing and Connective came on board, that topped up funding to hire three staff to keep it open all day.
“It was all hands on deck to get up and running,” said Abe.
“Originally we were only going to be open 12 hours to start. But we took a look at the forecast and it was going to be dipping down to really cold weather, so let’s see if we can get this going 24 hours so there’s an opportunity for not just for the people of Moccasin Flats but anybody out on the street that they’re able to came in and get out of the cold.”
The centre shares the building with the New Beginning Men’s Shed, which opened in November. AWAC board member and Men’s Shed co-founder Brent Goerz, who works as a trauma counsellor, says there’s potential to utilize the office space and meeting rooms next to the warming centre for on-site addictions and mental health treatment.
“Our longterm vision is to provide wraparound services and coordinate with other agencies like Northern Health and Carrier Sekani Family Services on client-centred care,” said Goerz.
“Maybe we could have Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous in the other third of that building.”
Goerz says having the shelter so close to the encampment fills a vital need.
“I wouldn’t want to be spending a night in -30 C in a tent, so it was perfect timing that AWAC took over that space and within the first night they had it open and staffed,” said Goerz.
“Who knows if there was a life or two saved as a result of (being open) last night, because it happened so quickly.”
Staff and volunteers spent hours cleaning up the centre and removing clutter. The transformation was even more remarkable considering it was a crime scene only a few days earlier. On Friday morning, a man was left critically injured when he was shot in the face by a lone attacker, who has since been arrested.
Clients have access to shower and washroom facilities and a locked storage area. Staff will require visitors to follow a shower schedule, a policy that ensures female guests especially feel comfortable about utilizing the facilities.
“They’re happy that there’s structure and supervision,” said Abe. “It’s a happy story. We had bare bones when we went in there and we’re slowly putting everything in there we need to get and everybody that’s accessing it is so appreciative.”
The kitchen area will soon be getting a stove and it will be the main gathering area that will be the future site of weekly Sunday dinners previously hosted in one of the outbuildings of the camp.
AWAC outreach workers will continue to pick up people to drive them to shelters. Abe said there’s a desperate need for donation of winter boots and other warm clothing and the wellness centre also needs towels and toiletries.
Other warming centres in the city
House of Friendship – 138 George Street – open daily 7 a.m.-midnight
BC Schizophrenia Society – 1131 6th Ave - 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday
Prince George Public Library - 888 Canada Games Way, open at 10 am, Monday-Saturday
Other overnight shelters
Active Support Against Poverty – 1188 6th Ave, 30 beds, 250-563-6112
Association Advocating for Women and Community – 144 George Street, 30 beds, 250-562-6262
Prince George Native Friendship Centre – 140 Quebec Street, 21 beds (19+ males), 250-563-1982
Prince George Native Friendship Centre – 1151 2nd Avenue, 30 beds (all clients 19+), 250-563-0895
