Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre’s Outreach Services is Preparing the Homeless for this Week’s Deep Freeze

With this week’s temperatures expected to plummet to dangerously low levels, The Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre’s Outreach Services teams are encouraging as many people as they can to seek shelter.

Both Outreach teams vans, with two highly skilled team members, are patrolling the streets of Ottawa warning the city’s most vulnerable of the extreme weather ahead. For individuals that will not allow staff to transport them to shelter, team members are providing them with enough warm clothing and gear to keep them safe.

“We have five staff members going out today to a forested area where we know some of the homeless population is staying to warn them about the cold and provide them with anything they need, but hopefully we can drive them to safe, warm shelter. We also have a list of clients we will be speaking to one on one,” said Mikyla Tacilauskas, Supervisor of Outreach Services. “We are preparing all our staff to focus on emergency response related to cold exposure and health concerns over the next few days.”

Mikyla says the homeless population is even more vulnerable to extreme temperatures because they often have a combination of mental and physical health challenges and or are dealing with substance abuse.

Outreach Services normally runs from 6 am to 3 am Monday to Friday and 11 am to 3 am on the weekends and holidays, but when the temperature dips to -31, Outreach Services starts to run 24 hours a day.

Donations of new or gently used warm winter clothing, sleeping bags, boots, tarps and mats are being accepted and are appreciated at the Ottawa Booth Centre at 171 George Street.

“Right now, we are especially in need of large winter coats for both men and women as well as snowpants and boots,” said Mikyla.

If you are concerned about anyone out in the cold, you are asked to please call 311 and the Outreach Team will be dispatched in order of the severity of the emergency.

To support Outreach Services and other critical programs please visit, www.salvationarmy.ca or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

By: Caroline Franks