By Kate Bouey

Lack of staffing closes shelter

Mar 26, 2020 | 12:10 PM

UPDATE

Turning Points Collaborative issued the following clarification on its temporary winter shelter on Friday March 27:

“The contract has been extended for our temporary winter shelter (TWS) program for an additional three months, however, the site is not being used for sheltering at this time.

Our sites are not operating at capacity, and the staff that we have in the TWS program are being deployed to other sites to assist with ramped up sanitization, cleaning and prevention.”

Once we are able to recruit qualified staff to cover all shifts we will re-open the physical portion of the TWS program, as needed.

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March 26 story

A temporary winter shelter used to house some of Vernon’s homeless during the cold months has closed but it’s not due to the COVID-19 virus or a lack of funding.

The operator, Turning Points Collaborative Society, confirms the shelter contract has been extended for three months but there is difficulty finding staff to man it — so it has had to close temporarily.

“At this time we have are having difficulty keeping this (shelter) fully staffed so, it is temporarily closed until such time that we have sufficient staff,” said executive director Randene Wejr in a release.

Wejr said the staff they have in the temporary winter program are being deployed to other sites to assist with ramped up sanitization, cleaning and prevention protocols.

“Once we are able to recruit qualified staff to cover all shifts we will re-open the physical portion of the program. Other facilities are not at capacity at this time as we continue to work at providing space to social distance within our programs.”

The closure comes at an inopportune time, due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe but the society vows to continue to provide essential services to the community’s most vulnerable citizens during this unprecedented time.

“We are working diligently with BC Housing, Interior Health, the City of Vernon and our many community partners to ensure that we continue to provide essential services during this time,” stated Wejr.

She said staff continue to minimize the risk of infection at the society’s other sites including; travel restrictions, hand washing protocols and social distancing.

The society’s housing and administrative sites remain closed to visitors at this time.

by Kate Bouey

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