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Homeless

Kamloops Judge says more jail won’t help repeat offender

KAMLOOPS - A homeless man who used a different name to escape his troubles and criminal history got another chance at rehabilitation today after his lawyer and a judge agreed jail wasn’t going to help him. In Kamloops Supreme Court today, Jan. 8, Eric Bradley Charlie's lawyer argued Charlie's continuous life of crime would not...

Socks, pyjamas, and perfume among items on Christmas wish list for Vernon’s homeless

VERNON - Vernon is once again helping to make Christmas wishes come true for the city’s less fortunate. The Christmas Wish List is a collection of personal stories and wish lists from Vernon’s homeless and shelter clients. Participants are interviewed about themselves, and the gifts that would make their Christmases brighter. The responses are then...

New Life focuses on Christmas programs and looks to do even more

KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops community organization is hoping to reach out and help more people this Christmas. New Life Community Kamloops, previously called the New Life Mission, wants to focus on the social aspect of the holiday season says executive director Stan Dueck. Christmas dinner is still planned for the Dec. 24 but Dueck says...

Vernon council disagrees about panhandling issue

VERNON - A Vernon city councillor insists panhandling is getting out of control, but that view isn’t shared by the rest of council. Coun. Scott Anderson raised the issue after a Vernon food truck vendor spoke out about being harassed and physically assaulted downtown. “We have a duty to help anyone that needs help and...

Harassed Vernon food truck vendor says enough is enough

VERNON - Vernon food truck vendor Dave Braybrook had to call the cops three times in one day this week — and now he's speaking out. The friendly Irishman and owner of the Sizzlin’ Shamrock hot dog stand says he’s had problems with transients disrupting business ever since he set up on the sidewalk at...

Homeless camps still a reality in Vernon parks

VERNON - With nowhere else to turn, members of the homeless community continue to sleep in public parks in Vernon.  A census done in October found six active homeless camps in the city, executive director for the Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan Annette Sharkey says. “That is up from previous counts, but not...

Kelowna Gospel Mission to unveil new, larger dining room on Thanksgiving Day

KELOWNA – There’s no reservation necessary and everyone is welcome to the Gospel Mission’s annual Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. The Kelowna Gospel Mission serves more than 800 meals on Thanksgiving Day, Oct. 12. Several local and provincial politicians will serving meals along with more than 50 volunteers. Prior to the meal service, there will be...

Board members to crash at homeless shelter

KELOWNA – In an effort to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness in our community, board members of a local shelter will be sleeping over at one of their own facilities tonight. In support of World Homeless Day, several members of the Inn From the Cold board of directors as well as some volunteers,...

Vernon homeless camp growing after motel evictions

VERNON - A Vernon homeless camp has grown in the days following an eviction order at the Green Valley Motel, according to shelter workers. Tenants had to be out of the motel by Sept. 1, and while a small number sought lodging at the Gateway Shelter, it appears others have turned to the street, John...

Kelowna homeless sheltering from wildfire smoke at Gospel Mission

KELOWNA – The Kelowna Gospel Mission has decided to keep its doors open 24 hours a day until the smoky conditions clear up. Forest fire smoke from a pair of huge blazes in Washington State has created extremely smoky air in the Okanagan and prompted a special air quality statement from Environment Canada and Interior...

Vernon soup kitchen sees record-breaking use of services

VERNON - A Vernon soup kitchen says it has a record number of mouths to feed, in part due to a dramatic increase in the number of families with children in need of a meal. Last year at this time, the Upper Room Mission was serving roughly 250 meals a day. That number has now...

Concern for homeless community heightens as temperatures rise

VERNON - While the hot weather forecast has many of us planning fun ways to beat the heat, members of the homeless population are thinking about something else entirely: survival. Imagine heading into 40 Celsius weather with no air conditioning, no hat or sunscreen, and no water. That’s the situation Vernon’s Cammy LaFleur Street Outreach...

Money pledged to help Kamloops homelessness

KAMLOOPS - Several organizations helping homeless people in Kamloops were promised a total of early $700,000 this week. The Homelessness Partnering Strategy will provide $684,000 to eight organizations in Kamloops, Member of Parliament Cathy McLeod announced in a media release. The funding will help provide a variety of supports, including for homeless youth and housing...

Inn from the Cold won’t have to close early

KELOWNA – Inn from the Cold will not have to close early, thanks to a funding boost from the province. The temporary winter shelter recently announced it would be closing due to a lack of operating funds. On Friday the provincial government stepped up with a one-time funding of $22,000, which will allow the shelter...

Lack of funding forces closure of Kelowna overnight homeless shelter

KELOWNA - Homeless people in need of a warm place to spend the night will have fewer options next week. In an effort to protect their year-round services, Inn From the Cold is closing their overnight services as of March 1, 2015 due to lack of funding, according to a media release. Normally, the overnight...

Back home and back to business for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON - The door is once again open at Vernon’s Upper Room Mission. The soup kitchen served lunch in its dining hall for the first time in two months today, Jan. 26, and communications manager Lisa Anderson says it’s good to be home. “This is where our clients feel most comfortable coming in out of...

How Vernon is making Christmas wishes come true

VERNON - A phone card, a bus ticket, warm footwear: It’s not your usual Christmas wish list, but for those on the receiving end, the gifts may mean a call home, a family visit or keeping warm on the unforgiving winter streets. It’s part of an initiative called Homeless Partners, which collects stories from the...

Temporary food services set up after flood at Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON - The community is making sure no one goes hungry in the coming weeks while damages are repaired at the Upper Room Mission. Fundraising director Lisa Anderson says it could take 6-8 weeks before repairs are complete. The 27 Avenue soup kitchen flooded earlier this week after a pipe burst and triggered the sprinkler...

Vernon’s Upper Room Mission closed until further notice

VERNON - Major flooding has forced the Upper Room Mission to close until further notice, and that’s creating a lot of uncertainty for hundreds of people who visit the soup kitchen daily. A pipe burst on the top floor of the 27 Avenue soup kitchen Monday around 10 p.m. and set off the facility’s sprinkler...

Homeless in Kamloops need blankets

KAMLOOPS – When Barbara Lundstrom heard there were 77 people tallied in the 2014 homeless count, she knew she had to do something — especially when her idea about what to do woke her up at 4:30 a.m. “I phoned my daughter,” Lundstrom says with a laugh. “She told me to phone her back in...

HELSTON: A small act of kindness will go a long way this Christmas

I’ll admit it; I tend to get my back up when I'm asked for money. My instinct is to terminate the uncomfortable conversation as quickly as possible with a ‘no, not today’ or some other firm, but polite, way of communicating the cause is not getting my hard earned cash. But I’m going to tell...