A “staggering” number of first-time users sought the services of the Alberni Valley Salvation Army, the organization says — particularly food hampers.
Seniors on a fixed income who would have donated in previous years were now turning to the Salvation Army for support, Pastor Michael Ramsey said.
“I think the cost of living in many places has really gone up, like buying food,” he said. “A senior income or any other kind of just solid fixed income, they’re not going to be able to keep up with that kind of an increase in cost.”
The Salvation Army operated with 20 mats during December’s snowstorm. It was never at full capacity, though some nights it almost reached that point.
“We’re hoping, very shortly here, to be able to move the mat program and put in 25 beds,” Ramsey said. “Then to turn the space into, not [a] weather-dependent [shelter], and just another additional shelter in town so that we are able to fully assist those who are in most need.”
Other Island organizations also did what they could to help people during the storm — though the snow impacted workers’ ability to reach people.
The Port Alberni Friendship Centre, which serves the the community year-round, struggled to provide services.
Cindy Stevens, executive director of the Friendship Centre, said that outreach workers weren’t able to work because of the danger of driving in the snow.
“It impacted our ability to get services to people that aren’t able to get to our centre and probably did impact people trying to get to our centre,” she said.
While many of the services provided by the Friendship Centre tend to slow down during the Christmas holidays, the unhoused population’s need for services remains consistent, Stevens said.
Though the Friendship Centre was closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, that didn’t stop it from “unofficially” providing for those in need, with Stevens and her family preparing and delivering holiday dinners.
In Victoria, the Salvation Army shelter at 525 Johnson St. was full during the snowstorm. The shelter includes 161 beds, and 30 additional mats for emergency weather response.
“We were actually over capacity each night,” said Jeffrey Baergen, executive director for the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre. “When it gets colder outside, people are, of course, looking for more services.”
One of the biggest issues facing the social services sector is staffing, Baergen said, with managers often stepping onto the front lines to accommodate the high demand.
“We can’t put up a sign that says, ‘Hey, due to staffing we’re closed’,” he said. “We have to make it happen.”
During the storm, “we had everybody we could possibly find working our emergency weather program so that we could get people in, out of the snow,” he said.
Herb Dick of Ahousaht, who is an Island Health Indigenous outreach worker in Victoria, said that some seeking services were experiencing the “holiday blues” and missing home.
“Another part [of] what [Indigenous outreach workers] do is we have cultural events,” he said. “We try to support, and other matters are just bringing [the] community together.”
In December the Indigenous outreach workers, also known as ey stelnexw, hosted a turkey meal. Dick said there was a Santa, drumming and singing.
“I think that’s a major thing about people who are lost, they sometimes feel like they’re by themselves,” he said. “We try [to] bring the services from home to the street community, and that is through coming together, sitting together, eating together … with our local elders, and then with our Nuu-chah-nulth elders, too.”
Back in Port Alberni, Ramsey said that he is thankful for the volunteers and community organizations that come together to provide for the vulnerable population.
“Volunteerism is the only way that we’re able to provide the myriad [of] services that we do,” he said. “I’m just so thankful that, even though the need has been more significant and higher than I’ve ever seen it in this community, that so many people in this community [have] a big heart and are willing to step up and try, and help us, help others.”
