Steinbach's first emergency warming shelter to become a reality

A local woman is setting up Steinbach's first emergency overnight shelter, after hearing of the increasing homeless population in the area. 

Leona Doerksen recalls learning about the need for a warming shelter, from a Steinbachonline story with Irene Kroeker of Steinbach Community Outreach.  

“I read that, and I thought, you know what, I'm only working part-time right now. I think I might have some time to give. And so that's where it started. It started with having that conversation with Irene and by the time summer rolled around, we had a Board in place and a few months later, we're registered as a business, and now, just waiting for our charitable status. So, it's been moving along really quickly.”

Leona Doerksen, founder and board chair of "The Inn" Steinbach's first overnight-warming shelter

Doerksen says, they have partnered with Steinbach Community Outreach, because of their involvement with the homeless in Steinbach for the past 15 years.  

“They understand why people are living on the streets, why people are having difficulty finding safe, sustainable housing, and so they have just been a wealth of knowledge and advice for us in this process.” 

Doerksen notes the idea became reality when they were gifted a property along Steinbach Main Street.

“447 Main St is the location people will recognize as the old vacuum cleaner shop. We couldn't ask for a more perfect location, with the neighbors that we have or will have in that area. It just is well suited.”

She says the existing building will be torn down with the plan to build a brand new 1,500 sq ft house on the property with an east-side entrance.

“We're hoping for a two-story to potentially use the first floor as a warming shelter and then a 2nd-floor to share with another organization that would have similar mission and values that we do.”

Once complete, Doerksen says the emergency shelter will have room for 30-40 individuals aged 18 and older.

“Any adult who finds him or herself in a place where they are without a safe place to go for the night. That includes people who may be drug addicted, intoxicated, living with untreated mental illness, people that maybe are in a crisis because they lost their housing or their job. So just anyone, anyone.”

She notes they will have safety guidelines in place for the guests and their staff, though the rules will be minimal.

“Basically, you know we want to provide a place where people can come in as long as they are able to respect themselves and others.”

When it comes to staffing and hours of operation, Doerksen says right now they are planning on being open 6-months of the year, 7-days a week, starting the daily evening intake between 8:00pm and 11:00pm.

“Then we'll close the doors for the night and in the morning our guests will be asked to leave sometime around 7:00am. So that we can clean the facilities and get ready for the next night, but it will just be for the night. That's what we are anticipating right now.” 

Doerksen says there will be no walls on the main floor of the facility, though possibly temporary partitions.

“So, it'll be really simple. Mats on the floor. We may have a section for men, a section for women, people that maybe feel unsafe in mixed population. We will absolutely be sensitive to that. It won't be bedrooms, so no beds. It'll just be a comfortable mat on the floor.”

Doerksen adds that guests will be allowed to stay for as many nights as they need shelter, and they’ll be able to bring their belongings with them.

“That's really important to us. So, if some of that needs to be in a shed, outside locked up, then it will be so, and then some personal belongings they bring in, they'll have a locker that will belong to them with a lock, so they can keep their things safe.”

She notes there will also be showers and possibly some laundry facilities, along with an organized evening activity, games and snack.

Doerksen shares the name of the shelter.  “We've decided to call it, “The Inn”, which stands for Initiative for Neighborly Nights.”

She continues, “Initiative, really just talks about doing what needs to be done, because it is what love requires. Neighborly means that we ask ourselves the question, what does it mean to be a good neighbor? It means to treat someone's son or daughter, brother or sister as though they were my own. And the 2nd N is for Nights. So, simply we are just a shelter for the night. We all need a place to rest from the stresses of this life. We need a place to come to where we feel accepted, treated, with respect and even loved.”  

When it comes to the community and what kind of help is needed right now, Doerksen says unashamedly,

“Everything. Everything. Right now, we would really be thankful if we could have someone with a web design, kind of IT promotion skills to join our team. We're looking for someone from our First Nations community to be represented on our board, as well as our business community. We're also looking to the Steinbach and area Ministerial Association to join us. We really want our board to be reflective of our entire community, because it's going to take an entire community to pull this off.” 

Doerksen says, they are hoping to have a mortgage-free structure built on that property by next winter, so they'll need help from local builders, contractors, trades and materials to be donated, to help with the build. They will also need financial help. 

“There will be initial startup costs and then of course, the monthly operational costs, which right now we're looking anywhere between $12,000 and $15,000 to pay for the staff that's needed for those six months a year. We would like to keep one staff on all year round to help with promotions and that kind of thing. So yeah, we're just really excited to see what this is going to become.” 

“The Inn” Board of Directors includes Leona Doerksen as Board Chair, Kim Heidinger Secretary, Matthew Frischbutter Treasurer, Phelix Lore is Vice Chair and Charlene Kroeker is a Board Member and liaison between “The Inn” and Steinbach Community Outreach.

For more information regarding the shelter or to make a donation to the project, please email steinbachwarmingshelter.TheINN@gmail.com 

 

 

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