New warming stations help Calgary’s vulnerable during a challenging winter

For many of Calgary’s most vulnerable, Alberta winters aren’t just a chilly inconvenience – they’re part of a life-threatening battle faced every day.

To help as many individuals as possible avoid frostbite and hypothermia, The Salvation Army has a team setting up warming stations around the city.

“We’ve been told by people, ‘I knew what this was as soon as I saw the Salvation Army shield. I knew that this was a place for me and that I’m going to be cared about here,’” Warming Stations Team Leader Hooria Ansari said.

Inside, propane heaters keep the space warm, and the team greets rosy-cheeked visitors with soup, sandwiches, coffee, and hot chocolate. The warming stations themselves are pop-up tents that are easy to assemble.

“We want it to streamline. Set up, set down really quickly so we can maximize the amount of time that we can do this and engage with folks,” Hooria said.

The warming stations average 35-45 visitors a day, with some really cold days seeing as many as 100. On busy days, the team has a second tent that they use as an extension to create more space.

The Salvation Army is placing the warming stations strategically at LRT stations around Calgary. This plan allows people needing relief from the weather to travel via train to the stations with relative ease. Once they arrive, it’s a short walk to the tent.

Hooria and her team also come prepared to help visitors access other types of services when necessary.

“We come out with two vehicles and one of them is a passenger van. So, if there are folks who would like to get into a shelter for the night, we’re able to provide that transportation immediately,” Hooria said.

“It’s always hard seeing someone who’s coming in with nothing on but sneakers and a hoodie.”

One beneficiary of this service was a young woman who came to the warming station freezing and under dressed for the weather. She was in desperate need of shelter for the night. Despite The Salvation Army’s Calgary women’s shelter typically being full, there just so happened to be one bed available on this particular day.

“She was so over the moon because, for the first night in many nights, she had a warm safe space to sleep,” Hooria said. “That was just so encouraging for the team, and we were so glad that we were able to be part of that.”

However, many of the warming station’s visitors don’t need a lift anywhere; they simply inquire about the availability of warm clothing or even hand warmers. The Salvation Army is grateful for the donations of blankets, gloves, and jackets, but the heart-wrenching reality is that there’s often still a shortage.

“All of it goes really quickly because it’s such a huge need,” Hooria said. “It’s always hard seeing someone who’s coming in with nothing on but sneakers and a hoodie.”

Donations can be made to the Centre of Hope in downtown Calgary or directly to the warming stations.

The warming stations are running until March 22. For more information on where the stations will be located, please visit Calgary Homeless Foundation.