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As winter approaches in the Peace Region, Casa Wapiti is trying to keep up with the demand for services by accepting donations from the public and holding an online auction to help fund the shelter.
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Casa Wapiti (formerly Casa Rotaria) offers shelter and emergency support to anyone over 18 in need.
“We deal with men, women and seniors, basically anyone who is having a difficult time,” said Paige Smith, communications and development coordinator for Wapiti House.
“Maybe they’re struggling with some mental health, past trauma, addictions, whatever has held them back and they need a little extra help,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the Wapiti house not only serves as a haven of last resort, it also offers a number of outreach programs to help clients.
“If there is someone who needs help with obtaining identification, opening a bank account, reconnecting with family and maybe going to treatment,” Smith said, adding that “we are offering a physical place to stay, as well as services to treat to get people back on their feet. “
According to Smith, Wapiti House’s needs are especially acute as the cold weather adds additional challenges for its clients.
“During winter, which is normally our busiest time of year, we have a lot of people trying to find shelter from the elements, between 100 and 150 people a day,” Smith said.
“With winter, there is always a different shift with the needs that we have,” Smith said, “gloves, hand warmers, touches, mittens, all of those things are really key pieces for us to protect people from the elements. “
The shelter is always looking for cash donations, however the holiday season often brings financial pressures and Casa Wapiti recognizes that people may not have much disposable income, which is why they have created their Wapiti Winter Wish campaign.
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“The campaign aims to collect crucial items and raise money to help our customers get through the cold winter months,” Smith said.
Wapiti House is seeking donations of gloves, mittens, headgear, ski pants, jackets, boots, and anything else that donors no longer need, but could be used to help shelter clients.
“This is a great option for people who don’t have a lot of money, but have a lot of clothes and things they don’t wear or don’t want anymore,” Smith said.
Smith says another avenue of support for Wapiti House is through its online auction, which is currently accepting bids for two prize packages from Lululemon.
They ask people to submit their offers for the prize packages on their Facebook page by commenting on the prize photos before midnight on Friday, December 10.
The money raised from the online auction will be used to help everyone at the shelter receive a small gift package for the holiday season.
“At the shelter we try to do the best we can to make everyone feel included, cared for and thought about,” Smith said.
The gift packs will consist of hygiene products like toothpaste, a toothbrush, body wash, and possibly something warm like a scarf or gloves.
The city of Grande Prairie often acts as a regional business and shopping center for various Peace Country communities, and Smith says the shelter welcomes many people from out of town.
“A lot of the people we serve actually come from smaller communities, be it Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, Wembley and Dawson Creek,” Smith said, “so the Grande Prairie homeless shelter really does serve the entire community. north, “Smith said.
If people want to learn more about Wapiti House and the work they do, Smith asks people to find the most up-to-date information on the Wapiti House Facebook page.
“We couldn’t serve the community if we didn’t have the help of other members of the community,” Smith said.
Reference-www.dailyheraldtribune.com