First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo Extreme Weather Shelter is staying open until the end of March, thanks to a major influx of donations.
As of Monday the shelter was preparing to close early, but donations totalling about $15,000 will keep it running on a shoestring budget until the end of the shelter's normal winter season.
"I'm not going to buy two new washers and I'm going to be working some shifts for free and my assistant will be working some shifts for free," said Kevan Griffith, shelter coordinator. "Somebody stepped up to help cover the food for the month, so all I really had to find was the labour from my staff, but I managed to find that."
Griffith could not confirm if the money came as a donation from a single private contributor or if the or if the money was received as multiple donations.