Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Lennox and Addington County’s warming station has been moved before it even opened, shifting from the County Memorial Building to the Napanee Area Community Health Centre.
The launch date of the station has been delayed as members of the county’s social services work to finalize the details of the move across the street to its new Dundas Street location.
“The Memorial Building was always going to be a temporary set up,” said Annette Keogh, manager of housing programs with Lennox and Addington County. “During discussions about how to move forward, we needed a space that we could use all winter. The Health Centre stepped up.”
Keogh says the NACHC is better equipped for the warming stations and makes for a better long term solution for this year. The county is still working on its long term plan to deal with the growing homeless population.
“We still need an agency that’s going to take on the organization of it,” said Keogh, noting they’re in discussions with local groups that would oversee its operation.
She added they still have to work out details such as insurance, supplies and volunteer coordinators before they can open the centre.
When announced last month, the warming centre proposed to be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. inside the basement of the Memorial Centre to offer those without a place to go a chance to get in from the cold. It’s not viewed as a long term shelter, but rather a warm place to spend the night with a mat, blanket and pillow. It will be staffed with trained volunteers throughout its hours of operation and be stocked with light snacks and information about resources available to those in need. The exact hours of operation following the relocation to the Health Centre aren’t yet known.
Keogh says the county is hoping to finalize the details and volunteer agency soon and hopes to announce a launch date in the near future.
The warming station were created through the use of the County’s Community Homeless Prevention Initiative as well as through funding from the United Way.
“We still need an agency that’s going to take on the organization of it,” said Keogh, noting they’re in discussions with local groups that would oversee its operation.
She added they still have to work out details such as insurance, supplies and volunteer coordinators before they can open the centre.
When announced last month, the warming centre proposed to be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. inside the basement of the Memorial Centre to offer those without a place to go a chance to get in from the cold. It’s not viewed as a long-term shelter, but rather a warm place to spend the night with a mat, blanket and pillow. It will be staffed with trained volunteers throughout its hours of operation and be stocked with light snacks and information about resources available to those in need. The exact hours of operation following the relocation to the health centre aren’t yet known.
Keogh says the County is hoping to finalize the details and volunteer agency soon and hopes to announce a launch date in the near future.
The warming station were created through the use of the County’s Community Homeless Prevention Initiative as well as through funding from the United Way.