Each winter, The Mustard Seed extends our drop-in hours through our Warming Centre, located in downtown Calgary at our Community Impact Centre (CIC). With the support of Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF), the City of Calgary, and Coordinated Community Extreme Weather Response (CCEWR), the Warming Centre provides coffee, snacks, extended hours, bussing to other shelters and a warm meal for guests seeking respite from the cold winter temperatures.
Greg is a guest who frequently stops by our downtown CIC and is well known by The Mustard Seed staff. He notes:
“The Warming Centre impacts everybody who’s on the streets. To be able to come here at 7am and stay until 7pm means the world.”
The additional two hours and added warm meal in the winter months may not seem like a lot to most; however, to Greg, those hours make a huge difference.
“If you don’t have a place to go, those hours mean everything,” says Greg.
Rose, a staff member at the downtown CIC, often sees Greg come into the shelter in the mornings. She says she appreciates seeing him as he is always so kind to her and other staff.
“Greg told another guest not to be rude to us and defended me and the other staff,” says Rose. She says it breaks her heart when she sees Greg come into the shelter with black eyes or bruises. She knows that the few extra hours TMS stays open equates to less time on the streets.
The Warming Centre means so much to our guests, and we could not run this program without consistent support from the Calgary Homeless Foundation and the City of Calgary. Thanks to their support, hundreds of people experiencing homelessness found warmth and safety throughout the winter months.
“To people that have a home, it's only two hours. But to people who sleep out in the cold, those two hours mean the world. It means the world to me,” adds Greg.
In addition to extended hours and comforting meals, the Warming Centre provides a unique and engaging volunteer opportunity. If you are interested in supporting this program, click here to sign up today!
