WINNIPEG, MB – Three community groups received financial support from the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Foundation for their short term extreme cold weather strategies.

West Central Women’s Resource Centre, Spence Neighbourhood Association and Rainbow Resource Centre will receive $20,000 from the city and the Winnipeg Foundation committed $30,000 in support.

“I would like to thank the West Central Women’s Resource Centre, Spence Neighbourhood Association and Rainbow Resource Centre for developing this plan to address a need in our community,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “I would also like to thank The Winnipeg Foundation for stepping in to support this initiative. While this is only a short term strategy aimed at filling a need for this winter, I am hopeful this will help inform the development of the long term strategy which will aim to make more spaces available during extreme cold weather.”

“We appreciate the dedication and commitment of so many community organizations working together around this critical issue. It is because of our generous donors that The Winnipeg Foundation is able to provide a timely response to support these urgent requests,” said Megan Tate, Director of Community Grants at The Winnipeg Foundation.

“We are happy to have an opportunity to work with our partner organizations, the Mayor’s office and the Winnipeg Foundation to bring a community led solution to what is a very complex problem. We hope that these sites will prevent any other lives from being lost due to extreme temperatures. While this is only a temporary solution, we are all committed to continue to work on a long term strategy,” said Lorie English, Executive Director for the West Central Women’s Resource Centre.

The community groups have developed a short-term plan to provide support toward targeting those who are underserved in the shelter system such as youth, women and the LGBT2SQ community. Currently, most shelters will not allow anyone under 18 and while women and the LGBT2SQ community are accepted in other shelters, some do not feel comfortable in what is typically a male-dominated environment.

While a long term extreme cold weather strategy is needed, this will provide a short term solution for this year while that strategy is developed.

Kevin Klein, Manitoba Post with files from City of Winnipeg

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