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Participation went up to 141 people from 135 last year, and while some funds may still trickle in, Ward reported that 1JustCity has raised more than $25,000 with the effort.
“That will keep a lot of people warm,” he said.
The main benefactor is Just A Warm Sleep, its overnight emergency warming centre in Osborne Village. An outreach program designed to handle up to 30 adults per cold night from January through March, it opened in December this year and for two hours longer each day than previous years.
It isn’t the only 1JustCity program doing extra duty during this challenging season.
West End drop-in site opens on weekends as pandemic closes many Winnipeg warming spots
The St. Matthews-Maryland Community Ministry has been serving people on weekdays for 40 years, but is now opening its doors two extra days a week so people can find a place to warm up or grab a bite to eat.
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Posted: Jan 09, 2021 4:57 PM CT | Last Updated: January 9
Josh Ward from 1JustCity helps a person find some warm clothes at the West End Commons location. The community ministry is opening its doors on weekends to support more people during the pandemic.(Walther Bernal/CBC)
Winnipeg Free Press
Stephanie Hunter and her aunt, Nancy Gabriel, try on tuques at 1JustCity Saturday afternoon. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press)
1JUSTCITY’S washrooms and dining room for hot lunches will not just be open on weekdays this winter for the city’s homeless to use.
1JUSTCITY’S washrooms and dining room for hot lunches will not just be open on weekdays this winter for the city’s homeless to use.
Josh Ward, 1JustCity’s community facilitator, said Saturday its West End site in the St. Matthews-Maryland Community Ministry, at 365 McGee St., will now be open on Saturday and Sunday through the winter until May.
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Thanks to a $10,000 seasonal gift from Canada Life, 1JustCity has established an outdoor warming fire which will be held two days a week for the West End community at the St. Matthews Maryland Community Ministry on McGee Street, it was announced Friday.
The warming fire also serves as a space to serve hot drinks, connect with staff and engage in Indigenous cultural programming, organizers said in a press release. With the province being in code red until January, there is no longer access to our indoor drop-in site which leaves people experiencing homelessness displaced as they often rely on their space for warmth, connection and rest.