A broken walk-in refrigeration unit at an emergency family shelter in the Beltline left the Inn from the Cold charitable organization in need of assistance and an unnamed person answered the call.
On Wednesday morning, Inn from the Cold issued a plea for donations after discovering the repair costs for the shelter’s refrigeration unit would be between $10,000 and $12,000. The emergency repair quote arrived at a time when the shelter’s donations were down roughly 20 per cent from 2015 and while the shelter was at capacity.
Late Wednesday, Calgarians came through for Inn from the Cold with a number of people stepping forward with donations including an anonymous offer to cover the entire cost of the refrigeration unit’s repair.
“We are so grateful for the support of Calgarians, our donors and the media for their support of Inn from the Cold,” said Lynn Cox, Inn from the Cold’s communications manager, in a statement.
Inn from the Cold officials say their unforeseen expense illustrates the potential financial devastation a low-income family would face in an emergency scenario.
