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Years in the making, the City of White Rock has finally approved a temporary DEWS for the 6 weeks left of winter. The $160,000 operating cost, with the trailer, furniture and staff, will be funded equally by Surrey and White Rock.

The modular office trailer has been installed in Centennial Park adjacent to the baseball field, complete with washroom facilities alongside.

The excitement peaked when Pat Heslop helped deliver the fridge from Third Space as it was just looking for a new home. Then he delivered other items from Sunnyside and a completely full Clothing Rack and storage boxes.  These had been put together by Linnette Heslop, Gary Reitmayer and Pat Young by dividing up the donated clothing at Mount Olive: Half for daytime, half for nighttime guests.

Kathy Booth will deliver donated toiletries, as transportation will also be provided taking folks for a shower.  Donna Roy and her team will be providing food and hot drinks, while Upkar from ECCS (Engaged Community of Canada Society) will be staffing and running daytime programs for the homeless. This is the agency which dived into action in the Sunnyside site at Christmastime when the temperatures hit -13c and there was no-where else for the homeless to shelter.  This shelter was very gratefully received.

What a wonderful story of the way that communities can come together to help one another.  This is teamwork at its best, and some unsheltered people in our community will have somewhere warm to stay, day and night.  More importantly, they have been shown that they are loved and cared for, they are not alone. Thanks be to God.