With no official warming centre in Fort St. John this winter, one local woman is stepping in to fill the gap.
As temperatures fall, Kristen Goold’s Warm Welcome initiative offers a safe and heated place to go for those in need.
“It’s a place to sit down and feel like a human being,” Goold said.
Warm Welcome takes place twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Goold and her team of volunteers hand out warm goodies, such as hot chocolate and tea, under two tents set up outside the WorkBC office.
“Come share your story. Come sit with us. Please feel welcomed and witnessed,” she said.
Goold explained she attends meetings every two weeks with the Society for Narcotic and Opioid Wellness (SNOW). There, the group discusses topics such as “How to stay safe in the community?”
That’s where she learned Fort St. John would be without an official warming centre this year.
Goold said she believes that’s because of the many risks involved in opening a warming centre.
From funding challenges to community stigma, these types of centres are not easy to operate.
“It starts with maintaining respect. Everybody up north is pretty darn tough, and if you meet them with respect, they’ll do the same,” Goold said.
She experienced homelessness herself, living in her car while she resided in Kelowna.
“I’ve lived in my car in -11-degree weather. I know what it’s like to not have a place to go that’s warm,” she said.
Goold lives with severe scoliosis and is currently waiting for spinal surgery.
Because of her conditions, Goold is unable to work, but that hasn’t stopped her. She decided to use her lived experience to help others.
To kick-start the project, she received micro-grants through the Community Action Initiative in Fort St. John.
“This is a great way for me to give back and make a difference in the community,” Goold said.
She added that when the initiative started, she welcomed up to 20 people a night.
But with temperatures averaging -13 degrees and periods of snow last Thursday, Warm Welcome saw its busiest night yet, with around 65 visitors.
Goold said she would love to support the community daily, but she needs more funding.
“I want to be out there every day and know that everyone has a safe space to go at night,” she said.
Expending the gatherings would mean tapping in her personal budget or those of her volunteers.
However, Goold said they are starting to receive more donations, and if the support continues, it helps her make a greater impact.
“I would eventually like to start a nonprofit organization up in the north. That’s part of why I moved up here, to make a difference,” she said.