Main Street Project shelter busy due to blizzard

Main Street Project says it expects all of its beds to be full following Thursday’s storm.

Main Street Project says the blizzard that hit southern Manitoba has been keeping staff and volunteers busy.

“This kind of extreme weather situation presents lots of challenges for the folks that we serve here at (Main Street Project), largely those experiencing homelessness in our city,” said Cindy Titus, interim director of development with Main Street Project.

She said the project’s outreach team has two vans out on the road, focusing on people living in encampments or other unsheltered places to connect them with services or warm clothing and food.

Titus said Main Street Project’s overnight emergency shelter—which has 120 spots available on a first-come, first-served basis—has been reaching capacity quickly.

“When the weather is really cold or really blizzardy, like it was last night, we’re filling up a lot quicker,” Titus said, adding she expects the shelter will reach capacity again Thursday night.

The blizzard has also impacted Main Street Project’s volunteer-run food bank services, which opens every Thursday morning.

“Some of our volunteers couldn’t make it in because of the weather, and this is a really critical time, because it’s when people are getting items for their holiday meals,” Titus said. “So, because some volunteers weren’t able to make it in, we had some of our admin team step in to help out with the food bank today, including some folks from our finance team and our executive director.”

As city crews work to dig out the city from the wintry blast, Titus urged Winnipeggers to keep an eye out for each other.

“People experiencing homelessness are our community members,” she said. “They’re our neighbors, and we really need to make sure that we’re taking care of each other.”

She said if you see someone who is struggling, you can call 211—a city service that can help provide services for that individual. If it is an emergency, Titus said you should call 911.