The Mini Storage: A Place of Warmth and Hope

On West Victoria Street, there is a special haven for those experiencing homelessness known affectionately as “The Mini Storage.”  Run by the Aboriginal Friendship Society,  if you were to call and ask to rent some space, well, it’s not exactly that kind of storage. For those without a home, this is a storage facility with 91 bins, giving them a temporary place to store their belongings. Along with the storage, they are given access to showers, laundry, and support.

The Mini Storage was a recipient of a Cold Weather Emergency Preparedness Grant from the Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) through United Way BC’s Emergency Response initiative, giving them the funds they needed to support those in need during the coldest time of the year. This includes warm clothing from long johns, sweaters, and mittens to snow pants, jackets, and chaffing candles.

Accessing services like this can be the first step to getting off the streets. It helps them stabilize their lives, become accountable, restore trust, build relationships, connect with services, and so much more. And when the temperatures drop, being able to have a hot shower, and put on warm, dry clothing from a storage bin can mean the world to someone with so little to call their own. It can mean survival, and United Way BC is here to help keep hope alive by keeping hearts –and bodies–warm.