The Chair of the Board for the Grace Inn Shelter says traffic has been steady since the temperature started dropping.
Jodie Jenkins tells Quinte News that he didn’t have exact numbers with him on how many people had been through the shelter in the last few months, but says their 21 beds are full every night.
Jenkins says not only are dropping temperatures leading to an increase in shelter use, but the pandemic-related lockdown is playing a part as well.
“When there wasn’t a lockdown, if someone wanted to go and sit at Tim Hortons, or use the washroom, or go in just to warm up in general during the cold season they could do that. Now you can’t do that either. It’s like, literally there are a handful of places that individuals can reach out to and we’re one of them, along with some other great agencies.”
Along with running the shelter and supporting visitors to it, Jenkins says staff from Grace Inn have also teamed up with other municipal partners, to help with other options for people who need to get in from the cold.
“Our staff go up and screen and do intake for individuals in the early hours when they open, when that warming room is activated. Is it relieving pressure on us? Possibly. But for the most part, the individuals that are going to the warming centre are not typically people we would see coming in and looking for a bed. Believe it or not.”
Jenkins says many people using the warming centre may have a tent or other shelter set up somewhere, but are just looking to get warm, rather than wanting somewhere to stay the night.
