Homeless shelter was overwhelmed by demand last winter, so now it will only be open during extreme weather conditions

The First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo has decided to scale back its shelter operations this year, after being overwhelmed by demand last year. The organization’s extreme weather shelter for homeless people had been made available every night between November 1st and April 1st last winter, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. But despite increased funding for the increased availability, volunteers were taxed beyond their limit, with up to 25 homeless people seeking shelter at the 24-bed facility each night. (more…)