'They trust us': New homeless outreach team formed in Vernon

A group of volunteers hasbanded together in the north Okanagan to form the Vernon Homeless Outreach Team Association.

Every Thursday night, they pull carts around the the city carrying food, hygiene products, Narcan and other supplies, offering assistance to people who are homeless.

"[We] just let people know that we're out there and we care about them," said Jeanne Arcand, the president of the association.

The team has been working together for the past yearbut only recently officially registered as a society.

Arcand used to be a member of another outreach organization, H.O.P.E., which helps homeless and exploited women in Kelowna and Vernon.

"I loved it, except for we found it very hard because H.O.P.E.is for women, so, you know, there's a lot of men out there," she said.

"So, we decided to form our own group that services both the men and the women."

Community reception

So far, the reception they have received in the community has been both "good and bad," Arcand toldDaybreak Southhost Chris Walker.

Homelessness and addiction have been a point of contention in Vernon.

Plans to open an overdose prevention site this summer were halted in Aprilto allow time for further consultation, and in June, more than 40 people attended an emotional town hall meeting, sharing their frustrations in relation to crime, homelessness and drug use in the downtown core.

Last week,Vernon city councildirected staff to prepare a zoning bylaw amendment withadditional development regulations for future emergency shelters built in the city. Some of the requested development regulations include setbacks to reduce congregation on the sidewalk, exterior lighting and designatedonsite smoking areas.

"We never know what we're going to get," said Arcand.

"We get someonecoming up and you know, handing us a $100 bill, or we get someone that's ranting and raving about how we're enabling [the homeless]."

Many of the people the group helps have addiction issues, but there are also lots who don't, she added.

The group has formed strong relationships with many of the people they assist, but the crowd has changed over the past year, due to the opening of the new emergency shelter, Our Place, funded byB.C. Housing.

"We had about 46 of our homeless people go into Our Place housing. So that's good," said Arcand.

"So now, we have a whole new crew that we're getting to know. They're very nice to us. You know, they trust us. They come running when they see us, so that we're welcomed."