Upper Room Mission on 27th Avenue in Vernon. (File photo/Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

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Dec 19, 2022 | 2:15 PM

With Vernon in the midst of a cold snap, Community Foundations North Okanagan (CFNO) has announced plans to aid the people most at risk this winter.

CFNO has pledged $15,000 to the Upper Room Mission to extend the hours of operation of its day shelter for the next 12 weeks to serve as a warming centre.

In a release, CFNO said there at least 100 people were identified sleeping outside on streets or in parks this past November, as the local shelters are operating at capacity each night.

The warming bus program is operating overnight when temperatures dip below the -10 degree mark, but CFNO said while this service is helpful during the night, it does leave people vulnerable during the day.

The decision to support the day shelter comes as the temperatures have dropped to a low that puts people sleeping outside at risk of frostbite, hypothermia, and a weakened immune system.

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“I arrived early to work one day this week to find someone huddled under a blanket sleeping in the entranceway to our building,” said Leanne Hammond, executive director of CFNO.

“It’s heartbreaking to see people sleeping on the cold concrete; in the winter it’s beyond heartbreaking, it’s dangerous.”

The support will allow the day shelter to stay open past the 4 p.m. regular closing time to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays over the next 12 weeks.

It will also support extended weekend hours that will see the shelter operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I am so grateful for the support we are receiving from Community Foundation North Okanagan. It is extremely rough out there for those living on our streets and in our parks,” said Jacco de Vin, general manager of the Upper Room Mission.

“It hurts me every day to close our doors, knowing people must stay in the cold and survive. It’s a blessing to keep our doors open longer.”

CFNO also asks people support its Better Together Fund so there will be money available to support other community projects and emergencies in the future.