THUNDER BAY — Grace Place’s Out of the Cold program has been full every night, serving its purpose keeping 25 people out of the cold winter nights.
With extra funding from the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) for overflow spaces, and the shelters in Thunder Bay working together, an approximate additional 30 beds are available for the community between the shelters.
Melody Macsemchuk, operations manager at Grace Place, said things have been going well this season.
“We are the overflow for Shelter House. Then when we're full, the Urban Abbey takes 20 more individuals, when they're full the Shelter House opens up 10 overflow beds.”
Macsemchuk said Grace Place is currently preparing for the expected colder weather.
“We are working very closely with the other shelters. We do have a shelter communication meeting weekly. We all seem to be holding our own and really happy to be able to provide this service to the community,” she said.
“We do fill up quite fast compared to previous years. People are coming in earlier and it is cold, it's a good thing they're coming in earlier.”
The $183,000 additional funding from the DSSAB this year has helped immensely, Macsemchuk said.
“We would have 20 or 30 people, even more outside with no place to go. Adding these additional overflow beds has helped immensely in keeping Thunder Bay safe,” she said.
The Out of the Cold intake begins at 9 p.m. and the discharge is around 7:30 a.m.
Macsemchuk said clients walk down to PACE warming centre on Victoria Avenue to continue on with their day.
