The cold weather the past couple of days have been tough on those who don’t have a place to stay during the night, and outreach workers are doing their best to keep people warm and safe in Kelowna.
Kelowna almost hit record-breaking temperatures during the recent cold snap, creating a dangerous situation for those living on the streets.
“The cold snap has been a tough one. We have exceeded our previous maximum in an effort to house as many people as possible,” said Gaelene Askeland, Executive Director of the John Howard Society.
Cornerstone, the temporary winter shelter that opened on Leon in November in an effort to provide some relief to Kelowna’s homelessness problem, has a capacity of 80 people. Cornerstone is currently housing 84 people, three dogs, and a pregnant cat.
“All of the shelters are doing everything we can to connect with people still outside to help them get inside and safe,” Askeland said.
“We are doing everything that we can to make sure that everybody who does come to us is being referred,” she added.
Service areas that they refer them to include Inn from the Cold, Kelowna Gospel Mission, and Ag House.
Outreach workers from Kelowna Gospel Mission as well as from Cornerstone have been trying to connect with people still on the streets with the colder weather to try and get them inside.
Things are thankfully expected to warm up in the next couple of days, with temperatures closer to 0 C expected by this weekend.
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