dryden warmth project

A community-based organization is hoping to establish Dryden’s very first warming shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

The Dryden Warmth Project is a grassroots initiative, supported by the not-for-profit Dryden Wilderness Trail, aimed at providing comfort to unhoused people in the city.

“We just started the crowdfunding last spring actually and then, with our media campaign lately this fall, it started to take off,” says Lynda Ménard-Penner, chair of the Dryden Warmth Project committee, which has been fundraising for the ambitious project over the past year.

“It’s a very difficult thing to put in place just all of a sudden,” says Ménard-Penner about establishing Dryden’s first warming centre. “That’s why we decided that, as we raise funds, we’ll just start small and we’ll just grow and expand.”

As a result, the committee has focused primarily on raising funds through crowd-sourcing on the Internet, targeting the project through a three-phase strategy.

“Our first stage is what we’re hoping to open this fall, which is a drop-in space a few nights week that serves hot beverages, snacks, warmth, access to washrooms,” explains Ménard-Penner.

“Our second stage is to open this seven days a week (with) our third stage to launch this full-time and then our future possibility, because you always have to dream, is to have a central multiservice hub where there is support given for employment, housing, post treatment recovery and this kind of thing.”

Ménard-Penner says the group is still trying to secure a location in Dryden however the project continues to raise funds through its Go Fund Me page to launch the part-time warming centre as soon as possible.

“Every little bit helps,” says Ménard-Penner about continued contributions from members of the community. “It’s also encouraging to get people’s comments and the support behind it. That’s what is really heartwarming.”