Hungry, homeless flood into Winnipeg shelters to escape cold

Winnipeg's Siloam Mission and the Salvation Army's Booth Centre arepacked with people trying to escape the cold.

"The weekend was extremely busy. We had to call in extra staff," saidMark Stewart, the Booth Centre'sshelter services coordinator.

More than 75 people slept at the shelter on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Typically, it has a maximum of 45 but when the weather is15 C or colder overnight, nobody is turned away,Stewart said.

"We put them on mats on the floor and dorm bedsin a large room," he said, adding heexpects to be over capacity again Monday night.

• Bundle up, baby, it's cold out there in Winnipeg

Due to the need, the shelters Siloam, Booth CentreandUnion Gospel Missionareopen round the clock for people looking for a warm place.Typically, theyclosefor a few hours during the day for staff toclean the facilities.

At Siloamon Sunday,instead of the usual 500 clients coming in for breakfast, there were650, saidcommunications manager Al Foster.

If any of the shelters need to close at any time, they will first check with each otherto make sure at least one is open.

"We just try to make sure that all the drop in areas, that at least one is open at all times,"saidFoster.

Foster also said Manitobanshave responded generously and swiftly to a plea Siloam issued for warm gloves.

During the weekend,Siloam tweeted out that it was facinga shortage of gloves. By Monday, the donation supply was restored.

"Upon my last anecdotal check of the glove box in the clothing room, it was overflowing. So it looks like we were able to get through the weekend with more than enough donations," Foster said.

Long underwear is now the item in high demand, if anyone has some to donate.

Booth Centre, however, still needs gloves as well as long underwear and tuques, Stewart said.