In the midst of a fierce heat wave, St. Catharines' less fortunate will finally have somewhere to go to find relief.
Out of the Heat is a pilot project that will pick up where Out of the Cold leaves off: an emergency shelter will be offering respite from the heat and a little something to eat for those experiencing homelessness.
Organizer Heather Morrison hopes to fill a gap in service.
"It's definitely a big issue. I think once the winter ends everybody just assumes that everything is okay, but they don't think about how exhausting it is when you spend all day out in the heat and in the sun and then you have to stay in it all night as well - you don't get the relief of going into an air conditioned home."
The community run shelter will officially open on July 4th at Grace Anglican Church at 238 Geneva Street. The program will run six days a week (excluding Tuesdays) until August 31st.
Check in is at 8 p.m. and a light snack will be provided for those staying the night. Participants will be provided with bedding and a cot and encouraged to attend the St. George Breakfast Program in the morning.
To celebrate opening night, a community barbeque is planned from 8 p.m until 9:30 p.m. to allow community members to take a look at the space and meet the volunteers.
Out of the Heat is 100% dependant on donations and volunteers. They are still looking for more volunteers in various positions.
More information can be found on the group's Facebook Page.