In the absence of a dedicated indoor cold-weather shelter, a Parksville woman looks to help those left out in the cold.
On Sunday, Feb. 14, Kelly Morris created a cold-weather camp in the back parking lot of St. AnneB次元官网网址檚 church on Church Road.
Since there are currently no cold-weather shelters in the Parksville Qualicum Beach region, Morris said she would have to make due with warm tents.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no doors open and these people are literally freezing,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not OK for us to sit back and watch.B次元官网网址�
Morris plans on keeping the camp accessible until significant efforts are made to help the vulnerable population and B次元官网网址渟omethingB次元官网网址� opens up.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 16, though there are currently only two tents in the camp and only one camper at the St. AnneB次元官网网址檚 location, Morris anticipates the camp getting larger, as people bring their own tents.
She said that with the supplies they have, they can provide shelter for eight people.
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Morris said she chose St. AnneB次元官网网址檚 parking lot B次元官网网址渂ecause nobody can move them from the church.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the only place they can actually go for any kind of sanctuary.B次元官网网址�
She said when people experiencing homelessness set up camp within the city in an area that allows for overnight camping, such as MarkB次元官网网址檚 Nature Park, city staff will ask them to pack up and take what they can carry the next morning.
A lot of their belongings are left behind, such as winter clothing and other winter essentials, she said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e really hoping that something will give. IB次元官网网址檓 pretty sure thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be some doors opening up. IB次元官网网址檓 hoping.B次元官网网址�
Rev. Christine Muise, the Priest Associate for St. AnneB次元官网网址檚 and a founding member of OHEART (a local organization trying to find a shelter solution in the Parksville Qualicum Beach region), believes the campers would be far better placed in a municipal building but understands that B次元官网网址渢hese people have nowhere else to go.B次元官网网址�
Located in the parking lot, tucked behind the 127-year-old wood church, are portable toilets where campers can B次元官网网址渁s human beings, use the bathroom.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not in a position where I can, right now, let them go find somewhere else because theyB次元官网网址檝e, as far as I know, tried other places. And thereB次元官网网址檚 no actual spots within the community that they could safely sleep or go to the bathroom,B次元官网网址� said Muise.
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