January 22, 2020 – Through the dedication of local community agencies and volunteers, a temporary shelter opened at Oasis Church in response to the extreme cold weather in Penticton last week. With the local shelters over capacity, this temporary shelter met a critical need in the community by providing a safe, warm place overnight for people who had nowhere else to go.
100 More Homes Penticton would like to recognize and sincerely thank the agencies and volunteers who came together to ensure the safety of residents in our community. On a few hours notice, local agencies ASK Wellness and South Okanagan Brain Injury Society (SOSBIS) pulled together staff, while staff from the John Howard Society communicated with the Oasis Church who agreed to opened its space for this purpose. People from the community volunteered to help support the temporary shelter through overnight shifts. Other agencies and individuals supported by providing meals, personal products, lending sleeping cots and ensuring people had safe transportation to and from the shelter.
Together, these generous, caring members of our community ensured that no one was left outside in the frigid temperatures. Thank you to all those who gave their time and energy!
On behalf of 100 More Homes Penticton,
Reanne Amadio
Community Investment Manager
United Way SIBC, on behalf of 100 More Homes Penticton
Thanks to Local News Media for this coverage:
Emergency cold-weather shelter is a response to ‘basic human good’: Penticton church
A church in Penticton has opened its doors as an emergency cold-weather shelter for the homeless.
Calling it a community effort, the Oasis United Church on Skaha Lake Road says 30 cots are available for temporary use, and that 10 were used on Tuesday night.
“It’s a faith response, definitely, but it’s also a response to a crisis of basic human need,” Keri Wehlander, pastoral care minister for Oasis United Church, told Global News on Wednesday.
Read the entire story and watch the news coverage
New shelter for emergency
Emergency cold weather shelter at Penticton’s Oasis Church
Read the story on Castanet Penticton
Penticton Herald: Additional shelter beds laid out during cold snap
