01/16/2024
On the evening of January 2nd, 2024, just after New Year’s, St. Mary’s Cathedral re-opened the Veronica’s Veil Overnight Warming Centre for a second year in a row with space for twelve men who are experiencing homelessness. Located in the St. Mary’s Parish Centre at 260 Brock Street here in Kingston, Ontario, the warming centre cots, dividers, bedding, snacks, light meals, and warm beverages are laid out by loving and generous men and women volunteers who have prayerfully answered to the words of Christ in Matthew 25:40.“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Open from 9pm until 8am seven days a week until April 30th, 2024, men are welcomed with a smile and a friendly hello before being assigned a personal cot space that contains a single cot, a pillow, a blanket, sheets, and room for their personal belongings. Hooks attached to the wooden beams of the dividers allow for wet jackets to hang and dry before the early morning hours. A large wooden cross hangs on the far wall keeping watch over all who sleep under it’s beams and those who stay awake on shift.
Granola bars, fruit, hot drinks, oatmeal and a hot shower are offered to all with clean towels before the daily tasks of cleaning up, laundry, and the re-organizing of tables and chairs to put the drop-in centre back in order. While one is working away cleaning, tying a bag of garbage for the skip, or starting the hours long laundry process, one can not help but remember the words of Isaiah 25:4 giving thanks to God for all this to be made possible. “For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.”
Veronica’s Veil Overnight Warming Centre
How You Can Help –
1. Volunteer your time.
2. Personally pray for those men who come to use the Overnight Warming Centre and for the Volunteers.
3. Spread the word about Veronica’s Veil Overnight Warming Centre and the good work they do for those experiencing homelessness.
4. Donate packaged cookies, instant oatmeal, fruit, coffee, hot chocolate, sugar, and creamer
5. Submit a Mass Intention for the men who use the Centre and for the Volunteers.
Contact: Ann Lyng 613-572-4892
or [email protected]
