By Stephanie Mancini
Published March 2026
It has been an exceptionally cold and snowy winter, and the impact on this for many we support is significant. Those living in encampments, outside, or who are precariously housed, face significant risks to their health and well-being. St. John’s Kitchen has been a day-time refuge for people during this winter – a place to get respite from the cold, to enjoy a warm meal and coffee, and to connect with many community services in one central location. We are able to keep eyes and ears on people who are most vulnerable and help to buffer the effects of the harsh winter as we focus on wellness, connection, and belonging.
As we closed our doors each day, we could feel how tragic it was, knowing people might find a place to be for the evening, but they would be outside in the coldest overnight time. The dissonance of seeing people become angrier and more unwell with each day, eventually helped us decide to open the Overnight Warming Centre. Ethically we knew we had to act.
When we made the leap to open the Overnight Warming Centre, we had a good sense of trust that there were other community members who felt the same. Little did we know the tremendous response that we would get as donations large and small started to pour in. Not only have we met the goal we set, we’ve exceeded it. We have witnessed our community taking action to make something vitally important happen. We felt such gratitude for the community trust that ensured we had the funds to pay for the Warming Centre costs.
The Overnight Warming Centre stands as witness to the importance of this decision to act together. We started with about 60 to 65 people, rapidly grew to about 85 to 90, and now we are seeing between 110 and 120 people per night. Some people come in and go right to sleep, eager to replenish the sleep that they missed while they were living outside. Others sleep as they are able. We offer indoor space, a safe place where you are known, and a sense of welcome and respite. Those whose mental state means they don’t easily fit in other congregate settings have mostly been able to come into this space.
People’s tolerance and patience have been a meaningful part of this Warming Centre. In the face of a few angry outbreaks or psychotic moments a night, people help to maintain a sense of calm. In the mornings, people are helping to do the sweeping and cleanup to get the space ready for the daytime. We ask people to leave by 7:30am and they are welcome back two hours later for the regular SJK day. This helps us to maintain cleanliness in the space and the chance to move forward into the day without carrying the happenings of the night, and vice versa. It gives people a chance to reintroduce themselves as they start a new day.
St. John’s Kitchen has been a place of respite through the challenges of frigidly cold weather, homelessness, and a deeply addictive drug crisis. We watch the difference it makes when people have a safe option, when they can sleep more, and when they do not feel the isolation of long cold winter nights outside.
Community Support for the Overnight Warming Centre
In the midst of a string of frigid cold nights, The Working Centre pulled together its resources to open the new St. John’s Kitchen as an Overnight Warming Centre. We invited the community to help support the costs.
It was heart warming when so many people made generous donations to ensure the Overnight Warming Centre was possible. A friend of The Working Centre made a generous anonymous donation, matching $100,000 worth of contributions. Many donors were happy to contribute and see their donation was matched.
The Congregation of the Resurrection, also long-time supporters, made a substantial contribution of $50,000. In the photo above Fr. Tim Uniac CR, Provincial Superior, Fr. Toby Collins CR, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic
Church and Fr. Raphael Ma, CR Associate Pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church visited the Overnight Warming Centre to present the cheque to Joe Mancini along with workers and patrons.
By acting together we have been able to support people through these cold winter nights.
Your support has boosted our spirits during the hardest part of the winter months. With the generous help we’ve received we have been able to act practically into a situation that was hard to witness.
We have learned the importance of extending the use of St. John’s Kitchen as a warming centre. We express our deep gratitude for supporting this act of caring and hospitality.
