Sudbury’s centralized warming hub seeks donations as needs grow

The Go-Give Project has been operating the warming centre at Energy Court in Greater Sudbury for the past month. It’s a busy spot 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with about 100-150 people visiting daily.

The building is a shelter from the cold, a place for snacks and hot beverages, an area to connect with outreach workers and a space for individuals to address specific needs with client navigators from local social service agencies.

“So, we do have a significant chunk that does visit the centre but again not everybody frequents Energy Court by itself,” said Ali Farooq, Go-Give’s interim executive director.

“There could be various reasons for that. But whoever is in the vicinity they have been accessing the centre and have been utilizing the services.”

They’re at capacity almost every night, a challenge Farooq said he expects will continue throughout the winter.

“If somebody does decide to leave (the building) it does open up a spot for somebody to come in and then depending on the night, we do offer hand-warmers and things like that at the door as well,” said Farooq.

“(This way) while people are waiting, they’re not just out in the elements by themselves.”

It was also one month ago when the City of Greater Sudbury centralized social service supports at Energy Court. That means individuals can connect with client navigators on needs like housing, food programs or mental health support.

Given it’s only been a month since the changes, a representative with the city said right now it’s monitoring feedback and activities at the site.

“We’ll look at changes to programming or supports as needed. There are some challenges certainly as individuals are grouped together and we’re looking at ways in which we can support them,” said Sue Ritchie Raymond, the city’s manager of housing stability and homelessness.

One of the main challenges that has cropped up over the past month is the need for more supplies at the centre.

Farooq said donations of items like coffee, bread, pre-packaged snacks, hand-warmers and emergency blankets are always welcome.

There’s a meeting later this week between the city and Go-Give to discuss how they can better serve the individuals living in the nearby encampment.

“I think the main hope is that it’s not a very cold winter,” Farooq said.