Extreme Weather Response beds no longer available at Salvation Army in Maple Ridge

There will be no emergency cold, wet weather beds at the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministry.

And, as of now, there is nothing available in Maple Ridge for those seeking shelter from the cold overnight, until another Extreme Weather Response Program, EWR, space opens up.

The Salvation Army is currently in talks with other service providers in the community who are looking for a suitable space, said Amelia Norrie, with the ministry.

And, she added, the people who have been running the EWR for the past decade are willing and able to work with and come alongside anybody who will be running the program.

According to the Homelessness Services Association of BC, the EWR program is provincially funded to support community-based services to provide additional temporary emergency shelter spaces during periods of extreme winter weather which threaten the health and safety of individuals experiencing homelessness.

“Our dining hall is full with shelter clients right now,” said Norrie, explaining that in previous years, that’s where they would open up the cold, wet weather bed space.

“We just can’t accommodate anymore with the growing number of people who are staying with us,” she said.

The growing demand, Norrie said, speaks more to the situation that is happening globally – with more instances of poverty and needing more instances of help.

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She said the demand for their community services is increasing, the amount of emergency food hampers is also increasing.

“There are people constantly coming through our door now and asking for immediate help,” she said, adding that they are seeing double the amount of walk-ins than at this same time last year – although last year their doors were closed because of the pandemic.

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Norrie is anticipating Christmas Adopt a Family program is going to be in high demand, and that will be run in coordination with the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society and also the Ridge Meadows Seniors Society.

The Salvation Army location will be a warming station this year because there is a portion of their dining hall that is always available during the day.

They just don’t have the space this year for the 30 EWR beds that they used to host – but they are willing to help whoever does take on the program.

“We’re willing to help whoever can do it because staffing will be a challenge, as well as training because that’s a different demographic of client that we’re going to see as well,” said Norrie.

“We will be working with them but we will not be running it out of our shelter location,” said Norrie.