The Loop is a homeless outreach centre at 405a Tranquille Road in Kamloops.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

The Loop outreach centre on the North Shore in Kamloops provides hot meals, clothing and a warm gathering place for homeless people and will soon be offering even more.

Next week the centre, located at 405 Tranquille Rd., will also be offering showers, laundry resources and storage.

“We’ll be providing minimal storage for peoples’ important things,” shelter operator Glenn Hilke said. “The baseline services are similar to what is available downtown and will be available here every day.”

With the support of volunteers and donations The Loop has been offering snacks, sandwiches, hot drinks and hot lunches every day for the past few years. In the past, the centre had opened several times overnight during extreme winter weather events.

READ MORE: No Christmas deal for Kamloops Hudson's Bay

Hilke recently expanded the centre to include church services from local churches, whose members are now cooking up hot suppers at The Loop, expanding the hours of operation.

He isn’t stopping there with plans to offer basic first aid services in the future.

“That hasn’t developed yet but in the interim, we’ve formed a highly functional relations with the owners of the new pharmacy next door,” he said. “When people need a bandaid Pivot will treat them and consult with them for free. They’re well versed in addiction issues and are a great resource for us.”

Hilke is hoping between the pharmacy, Interior Health and a local medical cooperative called STEPS, people needing resources will start dropping into The Loop “with some regularity.”

The Loop hosted a Christmas Eve dinner for 75 homeless guests.

The Loop has long since been dubbed a nuisance property by the City of Kamloops and continues to receive "nuisance" fines that have added up to thousands of dollars. 

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