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Homeless
Kelowna homeless sheltering from wildfire smoke at Gospel Mission
KELOWNA – The Kelowna Gospel Mission has decided to keep its doors open 24 hours a day until the smoky conditions clear up. Forest fire smoke from a pair of huge blazes in Washington State has created extremely smoky air in the Okanagan and prompted a special air quality statement from Environment Canada and Interior...
Concern for homeless community heightens as temperatures rise
VERNON - While the hot weather forecast has many of us planning fun ways to beat the heat, members of the homeless population are thinking about something else entirely: survival. Imagine heading into 40 Celsius weather with no air conditioning, no hat or sunscreen, and no water. That’s the situation Vernon’s Cammy LaFleur Street Outreach...
Inn from the Cold won’t have to close early
KELOWNA – Inn from the Cold will not have to close early, thanks to a funding boost from the province. The temporary winter shelter recently announced it would be closing due to a lack of operating funds. On Friday the provincial government stepped up with a one-time funding of $22,000, which will allow the shelter...
Lack of funding forces closure of Kelowna overnight homeless shelter
KELOWNA - Homeless people in need of a warm place to spend the night will have fewer options next week. In an effort to protect their year-round services, Inn From the Cold is closing their overnight services as of March 1, 2015 due to lack of funding, according to a media release. Normally, the overnight...
HELSTON: A small act of kindness will go a long way this Christmas
I’ll admit it; I tend to get my back up when I'm asked for money. My instinct is to terminate the uncomfortable conversation as quickly as possible with a ‘no, not today’ or some other firm, but polite, way of communicating the cause is not getting my hard earned cash. But I’m going to tell...
Gospel Mission serving up 800 meals on Thanksgiving
KELOWNA – The majority of people taking advantage of the annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Kelowna Gospel Mission on Monday will be the working poor and families, not the homeless. The Mission is gearing up to serve 800 people a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls, and of course,...
Homeless diners sit down to a delectable lobster meal
KELOWNA - The hungry and homeless of Kelowna recently sat down to plates of fresh, Atlantic lobster at the Kelowna Gospel Mission. The Mission says they were thrilled a courier company thought of them when they had to discard a damaged shipment of lobsters. The lobsters filling two large boxes were broken, but every part...
Cause of Tolko mill fire likely accidental
KELOWNA – A fire that started at Tolko mill Monday evening was likely set accidentally by transients camping in the area. The fire was contained to a pile of sawdust and bark mulch between the mill and Manhattan St., an area Kelowna Fire Capt. Tim Light says is frequented by transients. “We found some home-made...