With winter on the horizon, the Lakeland Out of the Elements Shelter is getting ready to open its doors.
The overnight shelter is expected to open on Oct. 15.
“That’ s a month earlier than last year, but we were reno-ing last year,” said shelter coordinator Lenore Callioux.
This will be the second year the shelter has operated in a new building on 104 Street in Lac La Biche. In past years, it was housed in New Life Victory Church, closer to the edge of the hamlet.
Last year, the shelter logged approximately 775 overnight stays from mid-November to the end of April, when it closed for the season.
With the economic climate in Alberta taking a turn for the worse, Callioux says the shelter will probably have even more users this year.
“I think the shelter is going to be full all the time,” she said.
With the possibility of a busier season lying ahead, shelter volunteers are looking for donations to keep the facility running smoothly.
Warm clothes are needed, especially hooded sweaters, and microwaveable foods, but nothing too fancy because the shelter only has a basic kitchenette.
Most of all, the society that runs the shelter needs monetary support.
“We need cash desperately to keep this project going,” said Callioux. “Every little bit helps.”
Society chairperson Bernice Mechor says the ultimate goal, as always, is to secure enough funding to keep the shelter open throughout the year.
The society has started a Gofundme page to raise money, and will also benefit from a sleep-in-a-box fundraiser held by New Life Victory Church’ s youth group on Oct. 2.
For more information, and for a full list of items that can be donated, visit the Lakeland Out of the Elements Shelter Society’ s official Facebook page.