The above-average temperatures experienced in southeast Saskatchewan last month forced the people responsible for the Warm Welcome shelter in Estevan to end their season a little earlier than expected.
The shelter’s season wrapped up on March 31, which was a couple of weeks earlier than expected. It opened for the season in November, and was open nightly, operating out of the Estevan Salvation Army from Sunday to Tuesday, and St. Paul’s United Church from Wednesdays to Saturdays nights.
Numbers were pretty steady during the four-and-a-half months the shelter was open.
“What I will miss are the smiles and laughter of the guests who showed appreciation for warm meals and gifts that were provided by the shift captains and the volunteers,” said Colleen Jensen, the shelter’s director of hospitality.
But once the daytime temperatures consistently hovered above double digits, and the overnight lows remained above zero on a nightly basis, the shelter’s steering committee decided to end the season.
Still, they weren’t seeing a big reduction in the number of people at the shelter each night.
“Before the end of March, there was a higher number coming in, maybe because they knew that the Warm Welcome shelter program would be coming to an end,” said Jensen. “Maybe that’s why we had higher numbers. We’re not sure. Some would just come for a meal … and some did not stay for the full night.”
The shelter peaked at seven guests on multiple occasions this year. Jensen recalled there was a night in which she had to bring over an extra mattress to the Salvation Army to make sure they had enough mattresses for the guests.
“We always made sure there was a bed available, no matter how many came into that shelter,” said Jensen.
They usually had six guests per night. Most guests were regulars at the shelter. Jensen believes if the shelter wasn’t meeting their needs and helping them feel a sense of belonging, then they likely wouldn’t have returned.
Prior to the shelter’s closure for the season, a few of the guests were nervous where they would spend the night.
“We gave them a heads up so that they could find alternatives to better their accommodations before the end of the program,” said Jensen.
Community support for the shelter was “awesome” this year, she said. Local businesses stepped forward to provide donations for the shelter’s guests. Volunteers and shift captains provided meals and even surprise gifts for the guests, such as care packages.
There were nights in which Jensen was concerned that she might not have a volunteer for the night, but they always had enough people present to ensure the shelter was operating.
Board members provided support and guidance throughout the year for Jensen, who was in her first year as the director of hospitality.
It has been a remarkable year for Jensen, and the people she talked to, both at the shelter and in the community, remain supportive of the program.
A volunteer appreciation night will happen on April 14 at the Days Inn’s Fireside Room at 7 p.m.
“It’s for volunteers who basically put their own time towards the shelter, away from their own home, so that volunteers create a warm, caring, belonging and safe place for the guests in the program,” said Jensen.
Jensen is confident the shelter program will return next year. Her year as the director of hospitality has left her certain that Warm Welcome is a very valuable program in the city that meets the needs of Estevan’s homeless people.
