A worker installs a security system outside the Northumberland Warming Hub at St. Peter’s Church on Friday, October 13, 2023.
The Northumberland Warming Hub, a drop-in service for unsheltered residents in need of respite from the cold, will once again be available this winter; this year with the earliest opening yet, as of October 16, 2023.
Operated by Transition House Shelter, with municipal and provincial funding through Northumberland County, this service will again be located at St. Peter’s Church at 240 College Street, Cobourg.
It will be available from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. seven days a week until the end of April 2024.
“We recognize, and are striving to address, the broad spectrum of need among vulnerable residents in our community,” states Transition House Shelter Board Chair and Acting Executive Director Rev. Neil Ellis.
“We do continue to see capacity within the shelter system, and the Warming Hub will increase this capacity for the winter months. It will ensure an additional safe space is in place where people can take shelter from the cold and access washrooms and light refreshments during the overnight hours.”
As Warming Hub operations ramp up, partners are also exploring opportunities to coordinate centralized delivery of daytime services by local agencies. In previous years, services have ranged from wellness checks and vaccine clinics, to crisis intervention, housing search supports, addiction harm reduction supports, and social services.
“The Warming Hub is an important extension of existing supports and resources for unsheltered residents,” states Northumberland County Director of Community & Social Services Lisa Horne.
“Based on feedback from community members with lived experience of homelessness, and with increased investments in the 2023 County Budget for homelessness system supports, one of our key priorities was to make this service available for the extended period of October to April. We appreciate the collaboration with community partners to make this possible.”
Reverend Matthew McMillan of St. Peter’s Church notes: “Caring for and serving others is a key tenet of our church community’s Mission. We are therefore pleased to once again be partnering in the delivery of this essential service for our community’s most vulnerable residents.”
Community partnership is at the centre of the Northumberland Warming Hub, with service providers, the faith community, County Community & Social Services, and community volunteers working together to deliver this service. For more information about how to volunteer with the Northumberland Warming Hub, email info@thshelter.ca.
Individuals can access emergency shelter services through Transition House by visiting the shelter at 10 Chapel Street, Cobourg or by calling 905-372-9562.
For more information about resources for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Northumberland, visit Northumberland.ca/HousingAndShelter.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
