By Vriti Bakshi, Times Chronicle
The extreme cold weather this week has seen temperatures plummet to lows of nearly -20C highlighting the importance of warming centres and shelters.
In Oliver the Seventh-Day Adventist Church collaborates with the Oliver Missions society to offer an extreme temperature shelter for anyone who needs a place to stay during the winter cold.
Jo Tanner, founder of Oliver Missions, and Greg Thorp, an active member of the church, are passionate about making sure that residents in the community have a safe and warm place to stay during the colder months of the year.
“The project started about three years ago when Jo found me … they [Oliver Missions] have been able to help on so many levels,” Thorp says.
He explains that the project involves a mutual agreement with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
“They provide the space, and my team comes in and does the magic,” Tanner further explains. To add on, Tanner showed her enthusiasm for all the people that have been able to benefit from the shelter.
“I have seniors, I have the homeless, I have 20 beds, and have seven to nine people at night.”
Both Tanner and Thorp also express their gratitude for the community, and agree that the community has been “extremely supportive.”
When asked about factors such as COVID and inflation affecting the intake of people and donations, Tanner and Thorp both explain how the cold shelter has been able to run through hardships.
“Homelessness is homelessness. COVID does not stop homelessness. I know four or five seniors living in cars, five or six teens couch surfing right now. It’s a total of 125-130 homeless people in total,” she says. Tanner emphasizes that homelessness isn’t something that just disappears, and that people still need somewhere safe to go.
Both offer further insight as to how the community can help: “We definitely need volunteers. It takes a team to make this all happen,” Thorp says.
In Osoyoos there is no formal warming shelter although during the extreme cold of last winter the local Baptist Church operated a temporary warming centre in its building.
The church’s Pastor, Phil Johnson told the Times Chronicle in early December (prior to this current cold snap) that there was only one individual who is residing outdoors but he has made clear his desire to remain where he is.
Johnson says it would be good to formalize a warming shelter but that requires going to the provincial government, as well as getting the Town of Osoyoos involved.
To learn more about volunteering and/or donating to the Oliver initiatives contact Jo Tanner at 250-408-8527.
