By Don Urquhart, Times Chonicle
The warming centre in Oliver opened ahead of the coming cold snap, with its first day of operation on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The warming centre is run by the Oliver Missions Society and is hosted by the Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 748 Similkameen Ave. in Oliver.
“The support from the community has been phenomenal,” says Jo Tanner of the Oliver Missions Society. The centre is open daily from 4 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and remains open whenever the temperature is -7 C or lower.
The 20 bed spaces cater to the area’s homeless population and Tanner says they try to “pack in as much nutrition into them as possible,” when they come in because living outside most don’t get enough nutrition.
“We get them warmed up, get some food into them, get them some warm clothes and register them,” Tanner says of the process.
Donations of food are always welcome she says, with a current need for fresh fruit, yogurt, juice boxes, baked goods, and coffee.
Donations of soups, stews, casseroles, breakfast items like oatmeal, cold cereal, milk, eggs, bread, margarine, peanut butter, jam, cheese, potatoes pasta sauce, granola bars and cookies are also welcome.
While the 20 cots all have quilts courtesy of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oliver, Tanner says they are short seven pillows and adds that word search puzzles are also desired as they help people pass the time while at the warming centre.
Donations can be dropped off at the warming centre or can be picked up by Tanner who also makes a plea for gas cards in order to keep her outreach van rolling. When the warming centre is not open, Tanner takes the warmth to those who need it with soup and hot chocolate.
Tanner can be reached at 250-408-8527 for more information or pick up of donations.
