Lisa George and a group of volunteers that have been working with some of Port Alberni’s vulnerable population hope to open a “pop-up” warming centre that will complement the Bread of Life’s warming centre.
The Bread of Life opened its warming centre on Dec. 4 and will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. They may add days as funding becomes available.
George would like to set up a warming centre in the parking lot beside the Port Alberni Friendship Center, across from Dry Creek Park. The alternative warming site would be open from 6 p.m. to midnight daily to offset the daytime hours the Bread of Life warming centre is open, she said.
READ: Port Alberni’s warming centre close to opening
The site is on city property, so George has submitted a proposal to the city to use the parking lot for the temporary warming centre. It would be set up and dismantled daily, she added.
“It is still in discussion stages but feels as though the city is not as eager to see it operational as we are,” George said.