Out of cold program kitchener

Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener would not be participating for the winter season. Andrew's provided places for people who couldn't find a spot at Trinity United Church on Monday nights. However, Trinity announced it wouldn't take part in the program this winter, the first since it joined Out of the Cold in when the program began.

Andrew's doesn't have enough space to support everyone who needs a spot and "they would not be able to handle the number of people would be turning to them on a winter Monday night. Out of the Cold says it will only be able to operate on three nights a week, unless other organizations step in to help. Last week, St. These volunteers set out and make up beds, set up tables and chairs, place condiments on the tables, and check thermostats.

This work is normally carried out during Sunday mornings after Eucharist. Servers and Hospitality volunteers serve our guests with dinner and desserts and clear away dirty dishes. These volunteers normally work two shifts pm to pm and pm to pm. Overnight Security Crew Normally there are at least two volunteers that work this shift from pm Sunday until am Monday.

These volunteers provide security and supervision for our overnight guests. Kitchen Staff, Breakfast These volunteers arrive on site at am Monday mornings, prepare, cook and serve breakfast at am.

Hand out bagged lunches for those guests who ordered the night before. Wash and clean dishes etc. In an adjoining room, about a dozen guests gather. Some watch television, others chat. Frank Brooks sits at a card table in the corner waiting for someone to play crazy eights with him. Back problems prevent him from working. He keeps a running tally of games won and lost. He loses more than he wins. Valerie Welsand, 48, has been coming since , the result of a marriage breakdown, few job skills and health problems.

She used to read news stories about homelessness, not knowing what it meant. Now she lives it. Roxy Lindsay paces the floor. It is just how things turned out for me. I got out of jail and have no place to go.

Then Lindsay broke her back in a snowmobile accident. She was prescribed OxyContin, a brand-name pain killer, and she became addicted. Her boyfriend burned her house when she refused to hand over her pills and money. Five years ago, she came to Kitchener for addiction treatment, but was kicked out of the methadone clinic because she had returned to a life of drugs to fight depression.

Lindsay becomes fidgety. Many of the men are asleep. Some never sleep. It is time for the guests to get up. Cots are rolled up and sheets collected to be dry cleaned. Floors are swept and dishes are done.

They will spend the day in parks, malls and public buildings. Sunday: St. Wednesday: St. Matthews Lutheran Church at 54 Benton St. Thursday: St.

Each site is run independently, so donations can be made to individual churches.