Out of the Cold, Homeless Shelters Receive Financial Boost

Monday, December 05, 2005 11:53 AM

Active Support Against Poverty's Shelter at 590 Dominion Street

The homeless shelter run by Active Support Against Poverty has a total of 25 beds to offer up this winter season, thanks to an increase in funding from the ministry responsible.

ASAP Executive Director, Audrey Schwartz, says several city groups benefitted from the extra cash, which totalled more than 80-thousand dollars.

The ASAP shelter had been running with just 10-beds prior to the announcement. Schwartz admits though, the need is greater still, "We have been housing over 30 people per night during the cold, wet weather and we've actually had up to 42 people in our facility. And, of course, we are not the only shelter in Prince George accomodating folks who are homeless."

Schwartz says the shelters in the city work together to ensure no one is forced to spend the night out-of-doors. And says, so far, they've been able to accomodate everyone. "However, if the (upward) trend continues, " she says, "We will see a time when people have no place to go."

The ASAP executive director says recent positive turns in the economy have done little to stymie the number of homeless or homeless-at-risk in our city. "We are not seeing the rewards of this economic up-turn in our populations that we serve, " Schwartz says, "And I honestly don't know the reasons for that, we just do front line service with people and try to mee their basic needs."

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Posted on Monday, December 05, 2005 11:53 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on December 5 2005 1:43 PM

Why is taxpayer money spent on people who do pay taxs do not give any thing back they just *** that they have nothing,IF WE DID NOT GIVE THEM SHELTER AND FOOD....THEN THEY WOULD WORK..AND IF THEY FROZE SO WHAT,WHO WOULD MISS THEM.

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on December 5 2005 1:46 PM

**** should read ( ***)

Posted by: Tracy on December 5 2005 5:30 PM

Don: Wow, very compassionate of you. Thankfully most people are not so quick to dismiss others in such a heartless manner. The issue is about a great deal more than working vs. non-working people. Perhaps do some volunteer work at a shelter to see who uses the shelter and what goes on there before broadcasting your narrow view to the world.

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on December 5 2005 9:46 PM

TRACEY, I work with street people every day,so do not tell me what I should do. MOST PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME ON THIS> ONLY THE BLEEDING HEART LIBERALS DO NOT. and maybe KRAUSE, but you do not see Krause opening his house to the COLD.

Posted by: owl on December 5 2005 11:46 PM

Obviously Don does not work with ASAP. ;-)

Posted by: gypsy on December 6 2005 7:35 AM

I see the less fortunate than myself and one thought goes through my mind. It is:
"There but for the grace of God, go I."
We are not all born equal. We have different personalities.
Certain individuals are more agressive,some passive, some are kinder,some cruel, some are hard workers-while others are slackers, some are gamblers, while others never take a chance on anything, some are highly intelligent, while others are slow to learn, some motivated, while others are just plain lazy, and on and on!!!
Some just need help to survive, and we are not a cruel society to allow them to die on our streets for lack of food and shelter, at any time of year, but now it is a dire need.
It is COLD.
So what kind of humans would we be to deny them a piece of foam to lie on, a blanket, and some food?
Through taxes we actually all give to the poor and needy.
Just remember, "There but for the Grace of God, go YOU."

Posted by: duffer on December 6 2005 4:32 PM

Let's keep building more shelters so more people can move here from all over northern B.C. That way our population will increase and our esteemed mayor can get more money to throw away. As Don says, if they have no place to go, maybe they will get a job, or better yet, move on to a place that will keep them. I am sick of spending tax dollars on people that have no better thing to do in life but wait for the Croft to open up each morning, or better yet, to beat each other over the head with hammers. Nice life.

Posted by: acrider54 on December 6 2005 4:42 PM

WOW! Happy Holidays