The temporary Tri-Cities bridge shelter for the homeless has seen a spike in clients since it opened a month ago, and with more mouths to feed comes the need for more donations.
"We have enough volunteers for now," said Rev. Julie Lebrun, "but we are in need of food and monetary donations."
Starting tomorrow (Saturday), St. Andrew's United Church in Port Moody will take over the responsibility of hosting the temporary shelter from the Northside Kingsway Church in Port Coquitlam, which has been feeding and sheltering more than two dozen people a night in since Oct. 1. (Shelter users are bused in to the church from specially designated spots throughout the Tri-Cities).
Normally at this time of year, there wouldn't be more than a dozen people seeking shelter. But as many as two dozen people, and at times as many as 30, have been housed through the program, run by the Hope for Freedom Society. With demand so high this early in the season, Lebrun wants to be prepared.
FAITH THAT HELP WILL COME
St. Andrew's doesn't have a very large congregation, she said, so volunteers and donations must come from the wider Tri-City community. And because the church will be looking after the shelter through the end of the year, a lot of food is needed.
"It's a true faith story, really," Lebrun said, "We put the word out to the community about what we need and the donations come. People are very generous."
Tri-City residents are encouraged to imagine what they would want if they were sleeping in a room on a mat with a lot of people - ear plugs are a luxury - and what they would want to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner because three meals a day are provided to shelter users.
"Convenience and comfort is what people need and want," she said.
Why the shelter numbers are so high is a bit of a mystery. Rob Thiessen, managing director for the Hope for Freedom Society, which has been running the temporary mat program together with local Tri-City churches for seven years, said the homeless population is transient, so the reason for the spike is difficult to ascertain.
FIVE PEOPLE MOVED OFF THE STREET
"We've had good numbers all month long," he said. "Our numbers are showing at least a third more per night than usual. We're trying to figure that out."
Out of the approximately 60 homeless, 25 live in the area and Thiessen said they refuse to use the shelter, camping deep in the woods around the region. The remainder move between communities or use the shelter sometimes but not regularly.
The good news is that people who do use the shelter often connect up with social services and end up moving into more permanent housing.
"The only [firm] statistic we have is when we can move them off the street, and since the shelter opened [in October], five people have moved off the street into housing and rehab, that sort of thing."
Lebrun said it's important the community embrace those who need shelter and find a way to help them because the end goal is to move them into a home.
For more information about the Bridge Shelter at St. Andrew's and to view a new video, "Beyond Soup and Socks," about the church's shelter program and plans for a permanent shelter in Coquitlam, visit sauc.ca.
WHAT'S NEEDED
Food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as financial donations
breakfast cereal, peanut butter, jam, hot chocolate, coffee, tea
money for perishables such as meat and milk
lunch food, such as fruit cups, puddings and granola bars, canned tuna and salmon
dinner food, such as pasta, sauce and other staples
toiletries, such as ear plugs, cough drops, tissues
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Drop off food and other donations at St. Andrew's United Church, 2318 St. Johns Street, Port Moody. Phone first: 604-939-5513. Cheques can also be made out to St. Andrew's United Church and mailed to 2318 St. Johns St., Port Moody, B.C. V3H 2A9.
For more information about the Bridge Shelter at St. Andrew's and to view a video about the church's shelter program, visit sauc.ca.
