Homeless

Homeless population grows as funding dries up in Vernon
VERNON – The City of Vernon is facing a dire situation with its homeless population.…
Tiny home project to house Vernon youth at risk of homelessness takes off
VERNON – Tiny homes are proving to be a big hit in Vernon. As part…

BEPPLE: Making the homeless feel at home in Kamloops
Last week’s decision of Saskatchewan to give two homeless young men bus tickets and put…

Homeless man with multiple aliases charged with murder in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – A local man with many aliases is charged with second-degree murder after an…
Vernon’s Gateway Shelter the ‘last resort’ for many of the city’s most marginalized
VERNON – The Gateway Shelter in Vernon is much more than a place to get…

Small fire at homeless camp quickly extinguished in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – A fire at a homeless camp underneath the railway in Valleyview was quickly…
City, equestrian society have no plans to evict homeless from horse barns
VERNON – While Kin Race Track sits vacant amidst an ongoing legal dispute, the facility’s…

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

Kamloops shelter ‘won’t turn anyone away’ during current extreme weather response: executive director
KAMLOOPS - An extreme weather response remains in effect to deliver shelter to those who need it the most during the cold nights in Kamloops. Executive director of the Kamloops branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association Christa Mullaly issued the alert around 4:30 p.m. yesterday, Nov. 18, after a forecasted low temperature of -7...