THUNDER BAY — Help is on the way for some of the city's most at-risk residents.
NorWest’s mobile warming centre, the Care Bus, launches for the 5th winter on Dec 2.
“We continue to see that there are many individuals who need access to transportation and low barrier access to transportation,” said Chief Executive Officer of NorWest CHC, Juanita Lawson.
“We've learned that having individuals such as our harm reduction workers on the bus, who can connect individuals with services — whether it's going to a primary care appointment or the hospital or Saint Joe's Care Group’s withdrawal management program — that those connections with people are really important and, as well, having a safe place during the winter."
The low-barrier mobile warming centre offers social support services like outreach support worker and foot care nurses, as well as providing food.
Lawson said the Care Bus will be operational from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. During cold weather advisories, the mobile unit will be ready to hit the road earlier.
“Our goal would be to try and start the service as early as nine o'clock (in the morning). We'll just respond as we can," she said. "But Kasper transport has been very good in terms of saying, 'Yeah, we can make this work.' And we have staff who are actually very keen and caring and compassionate and also really concerned about people who are vulnerable and at risk.”
NorWest is once again partnering with the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre which will provide their support to those in need this winter.
Katie Bortolin, Director of Housing at Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre said, “the Care Bus is a labour of love.”
She noted that the Friendship Centre will have outreach support workers on the bus, as well as their treatment and aftercare coordinator and an Indigenous mental health and wellness worker.
“We'll be able to provide a lot of services and supports to people who are really pushed to the margins in our community and these people will be on the bus riding around town,” said Bortolin.
NorWest stated in a news release that last year the Care Bus served their clients 10,801 times over 125 days, averaging 86 clients per day.
For further inquiries about the Care Bus and its services, please contact Juanita Lawson at NorWest CHC at (807) 626- 8482.
