A newly opened emergency shelter in Niagara Falls is already seeing a need for their services.
The Out of the Cold program has officially started up in Niagara Falls at St. Andrew's United Church on Morrison Street; last night 12 of the 15 beds were occupied.
While speaking to CKTB's Matt Holmes this morning, Executive Director of Project Share Diane Corkum clears up a little miscommunication about who can use the shelter.
"St. Andrew's people were talking about a men's shelter and I was talking about both sexes. And AJ Heafey, who's helping us a lot from the Niagara Falls Community Help Centre, he wanted it to be women as well. And so we compromised - we're a men's shelter that allows women."
The first resident for the shelter was a woman.
Corkum says people are also coming through the door hungry, and although the shelter offers snacks at this point they don't have the facilities available to prepare a meal.
"People may be expecting a meal, and that's unfortunate. St. Andrews has a dinner on Wednesday nights at 5 p.m. So people will be allowed to stay from after the dinner to the Out of the Cold - and on Friday night the Salvation Army Mobile Outreach Truck comes around with coffee and sandwiches."