Community 'overwhelmingly' offers support of men impacted by fire at shelter

Volunteers working out of a Waterloo church say they have received an overwhelming amount of donations for the men displaced by a fire at The Inn of Waterloo earlier this week.

The building had been acting as a 24-hour shelter for homeless men in the Waterloo region area since the fall.

Emmanuel United Church in Waterloo put out a call for items Thursday morning, including coats, boots, clothing, mittens, tuques and personal care items.

Just after 1:30 p.m., volunteers reported they had so many items, they couldn't take in any more right away.

"I just feel so warm inside to know that people have seen the need and responded so overwhelmingly," said Karen Dixon, one of the organizers.

"These men have lost everything they own and they don't own very much and they were in a stable environment at the shelter ... some of them for the first time in their lives."

She said they had offers of donations from people in the U.S. and packages were couriered from Hamilton.

"It's a little crazy and all over the city and country are dropping off or asking us to pick things up," she said.

The church is also accepting financial donations to buy items that are needed.

Supporting people impacted

The fire Tuesday evening caused approximately $1 million in fire, smoke and water damage.

Chris McEvoy, the region's manager of housing policy and homelessness prevention, said some of the men who were self-isolating for COVID-19 were taken to St. Mary's General Hospital. The other men were taken by a Grand River Transit bus to a location in Guelph.

House of Friendship, which was running the shelter at the hotel, says the focus now becomes helping the men in the coming weeks.

"Together with our partners through the Region of Waterloo and Inner City Health Alliance, House of Friendship continues to support these people through this transition individuals who already have complex health needs and now have to face more adversity," the organization said in a release.

"Our focus now is ensuring shelter participants and staff have the support they need."