Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee Area Community Health Centre will open its doors for the winter season on Dec. 18, providing a warming centre for people to spend the evening and get a warm meal.
The centre is located at 26 Dundas Street W in Napanee.
This will mark the second year for the warming centre, which will run from 7 p.m. to 9:30 a.m., every night through April 15. That’s an extra two-and-a-half hours of operation for this year.
“From 7 am.m to 9:30 a.m. a staff will stay to allow for connections to agencies,” explains Kevin Alkenbrack, executive director at Morningstar Mission who is also helping to organize the warming centre. “They’ll be able to come in and speak to clients right within the warming centre. Last year there were two problems. One, it was difficult because of the hours of operation being 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., all the agency staff were not working. One of the goals this year was to allow for that agency connection…The other problem was it’s very difficult for volunteers and staff to have to ask people to leave if it’s super cold at 7 a.m. This allows people to stay warm if it’s -15 with a windchill because there isn’t really a place for people to go other than Tim Horton’s because Pier 17 doesn’t open until 10 a.m.”
Just as last year, the centre will be operated by paid staff as well as community volunteers. Though they were able to recruit enough volunteers to get the doors open before Christmas, they will need more throughout the season. Alkenbrack says they will be offering more volunteer orientations within the coming week for anyone interested in helping.
The exact date of the training is yet to be finalized. They’re also accepting donations of crock-pot meals such as soup, chilli and stews, particularly on weekends and Mondays. Anyone interested in helping out can contact the Morningstar Mission by calling 613-354-6355.
Last year the warming centre saw over 100 different clients, whether they be ‘couch surfers’ who are precariously housed or those living rough, with nowhere to go at night.
“There are a significant amount of people in our community as well that are dealing with insomnia, loneliness, whatever it may be,” added Alkenbrack. “They found the warming centre as a safe place of refuge with welcoming volunteers and staff.”
New this year, the centre will be observing a time for ‘social connection’, running from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. After that, those with a safe place to sleep will be encouraged to head there while the centre will undergo a quiet time from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. People looking to spend the night must be in the centre by midnight, after which no one will be allowed to enter the centre.