Women's shelter extends holiday hours as busy first year comes to an end

Charlottetown's homeless shelter for women is expanding its services for the holiday season.

Blooming House is coming up onone year since it openedand officials say they were busier than expected.

Liz Corney, one of the founders of Blooming House, said 60 women have stayed there since it opened in January.

"Sixty women is quite a large number for how small Charlottetown is," she said.

"I think that kind of surprised usthe amount of women that we have seen, and I think for us getting to know these women, getting to know how to serve them in the best way possible, has been kind of just a joy over over the last year."

Open early on Christmas

Blooming House, which has eight beds, will extend its hours over the holidays. It will open early on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Co-founder Brynn Devine said a big part of the shelter's mandate is to continue to support womeneven after they've moved on to housing of their own.

In addition to offering gifts to the women currently staying at the shelter, there are plans to make sure the holidays are merry for those who stayed there in the past. They have filled stockings and are putting a call out for Christmas hampers for guests who have recentlytransitioned out.

"We'll be able to kind of give them what they need tomake their own Christmas dinner, or the invitation is always there for them to come back and celebrate with us if they would like to do that," Devine said.

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