Operations going well at new emergency shelter location at Palangio Arena

After a few bumps with getting used to a new facility officials say things are going well at the 24-hour emergency homeless shelter at Pete Palangio Arena.

The new location opened two weeks ago.

Nipissing Mental Health, Housing And Support Services CEO Mary Davis also says the number of people using the facility varies each night.

“It fluctuates, we have anywhere between 35 to 20, we’ve had upwards of 35, it just depends on the night,” she says.

Davis was asked if they expect any impact on the numbers with the warmer weather coming.

“Not sure, I’m hopeful people will continue to come to the shelter just because of COVID and what we’re trying to accomplish with the isolation and physical distancing. We’re hopeful people will continue to come and to this point we’re seeing that,” she says.

Davis says one of the previous challenges with the former YMCA site was the need for an isolated section for COVID-19, which was resolved with the move to ‘Double Rinks’.

She’s also thankful for the donations that have come in.

“We have gotten a ton of donations, a lot of clothes, food and monetary donations, so I think right now we’re fine,” Davis says.

She says the generosity of the community has been amazing to see.

(File photo by Brenda Turl/BayToday.ca)