A much-needed warming centre opens tonight and at least one woman who will be using it says she's grateful for the work done by those who made it happen.
The volunteers and staff with the John Howard Society of Simcoe and Muskoka (JHSSM) will take over a room at the Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County (CFSSC) building at 20 Anne St. S. The warming centre will be open starting Jan. 21 from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week.
That was great news to a woman who identified herself as T, who spoke to BarrieToday on Friday afternoon while at the Trinity Anglican Church daytime warming centre on Collier Street.
T said she just found out about the new nighttime warming centre a few days ago and was happy to see a place opening up to get out of the bitter cold.
When asked why she thought it took too long to secure a building for the nightly warming centre, T was very blunt.
“I’ll put myself out there for a second, because I have no filter, but also because I just don’t like how some people treat others. I don’t expect people to have my back, but right now for the homeless and people in need, there is no empathy or sympathy,” she said. “That's a problem when you’re kicking someone while they're down and it's freezing cold.
"What happened to us as a people? It shouldn't be this hard to help folks get out of the cold.”
Coun. Natalie Harris has been pushing since November for a designated warming centre to be opened as relief for people who are homelessness.
Harris told BarrieToday that although the Anne Street location is a bit farther from the downtown than preferred, “we must use what has been generously offered to us and we are so grateful to the Catholic Family Services for this opportunity for nighttime warming seven nights a week," she said.
Harris said there are always plans and needs for other locations as there is still a daytime gap on the weekends.
“This conversation is long from over,” Harris said.
JHSSM executive director Suzanna McCarthy said she had been trying for months to support a warming centre for the community, but unfortunately ran into obstacles along the way.
"It was clear that resources had to be diverted elsewhere to support the housing crisis and COVID (issues) and everything," McCarthy said. "With resources so stretched, we felt it was important we had the ability to step up and so we chose to."
McCarthy said the Anne Street warming centre is a group room in the building and is currently set up for six people.
"There is the possibility, if we see the need, of moving to a larger room in the facility," she added. "For right now, we're just testing it out to see how many folks each night will come to the space."
On why it is important for the facility to be open, T said it's very hard, especially for her as a woman, “to be kicked out of every other place in town — the bus terminal on a regular basis, the library and other places.
“These places — Trinity, the Busby, John Howard, the warming centre opening up — they’re very important to me and those in the same spot as me,” T added. “It's not that I don’t follow the rules at the places that kick me out, but I admit that I stand up for myself and others. I just don’t like people treating others or speaking to others like a piece of dirt when they’re already down in life.”
Harris said some of the hurdles encountered since November, when the city started their search for a location, included a lack of space that met fire code and health guidelines.
“We needed permission from the diocese to get Trinity Anglican approved; that was a long wait for a reply from the diocese,” she said. “Funding constraints were also great as the John Howard Society needed to hire trained staff to operate the spaces as well as security. However, it is important to note that most of the people who will operate the warming centres are volunteers trained by the Gilbert Centre.”
While McCarthy admits she would've preferred a location closer to the downtown, the Anne Street warming centre is good for now.
"We weren't able to find anything in the downtown core that would be available consistently, seven nights a week. Our concern was having rotating locations and how difficult that would be for people to keep track of them," she said.
To assist with anyone who may be having issues with transportation, McCarthy said they are attempting to secure some bus passes to help with that.
The Busby Centre recently reported there were 65 people who were unsheltered during this current cold snap.
McCarthy pointed out that it isn't just during the winter months that a centre is needed to help people who are exposed to the elements.
"In the absence of the obvious need for truly affordable housing, having a permanent location available, which extends into the summer months as well, is key," she said. "Folks who are unsheltered have no way to stay safe, stay warm, stay cool — whatever it is. I would love to see a permanent building on Barrie that is consistently available and has people there to support folks who need the support."
T had a message for anyone who's in charge of making decisions on giving assistance to unsheltered residents during extreme weather conditions.
“I think these folks who make decisions and who say 'yes' or 'no' to the needs of people who are homeless need to take a mirror and say to the mirror all the things they say when they turn down help,” she said. “Put yourself in our shoes, really imagine it, and see if you can tell yourself that you’re not giving warmth to yourself on a night you could die on the street.
“An even better idea is come down and hang out for a night, see how cold it is.”
