Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families opens overnight warming centre

Windsor's women's shelter has opened a warming centre to help the growing population of women experiencing homelessness. (Source: Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families/Facebook)

The Welcome Centre Sehlter for Women and Families is opening a warming centre for the winter to help offer a space to the growing population of women experiencing homelessness, the organization says.

The new service opened on Monday and will be in place through March 31, 2024.

“By adding warming centre spaces, we’re ensuring that women in our community have access to supports during the overnight period when day programs are closed and many are finding shelters full or want other options for spaces to spend the coldest hours of the day,” Welcome Centre executive director Lady Laforet, said in a news release. “This shift to increased night-time supports means that as a community and an emergency response system, we are very focused on making sure our efforts to keep people alive in the coldest months are successful.”

The new program will offer those “sleeping rough” a mat, blanket, access to a lit common area as well as staff support and referrals and a meal as they had out for the day.

The warming centre will operate nightly, without exception, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and function to ensure no women in the community are left without overnight options should shelters be at capacity.

Women and families in need of access to the emergency shelter are invited to call 519-971-7595 at any time to complete a screening for edibility and make arrangement for intake if shelter units are available.