How rested would you feel after sleeping at a table?

It’s a great idea to have a temporary winter shelter at a church in downtown Kitchener for the homeless people who would otherwise have to brave subfreezing temperatures outdoors.

But let’s be clear what, exactly, this is.

There aren’t going to be any beds at this “overnight drop-in” as it’s being called. Just tables and chairs. “I was a bit blown away by them not having any place to sleep,” said Judy Zieske, who for many years has provided shelter and meals for homeless people in that same basement at St. Matthews Lutheran Church.

Even though Out of the Cold — the shelter offered on a rotating basis by churches — ended several years ago due to volunteer burnout, Zieske and other volunteers still provide a hot dinner on Wednesday nights in the hall for anyone who wants it.

The decision by House of Friendship to provide temporary winter shelter every night from Monday until April 30, was made so quickly that the church congregation hadn’t been informed by the time Waterloo regional councillors agreed to fund it.

Zieske will still provide the weekly meals. She talked to House of Friendship staff about what would be involved in the transition to the drop-in shelter. She told them she was concerned that she no longer had the bedding or blankets from when the church operated its shelter some years ago.

She was told that was not necessary, it would just be tables and chairs.

“I picked up my jaw off the floor,” she said.

The history of that spacious church hall at Benton and Church streets tells the story of how homeless people have been treated in this community.

Years ago, in response to a high

number of homeless people, a number of churches in the central area rotated the job of welcoming those who asked for a bed for the night.

With no questions asked, you could come to a different church each night of the week and have a hot meal, play a game of cards and get a good night’s rest.

Not all were technically homeless. It’s a spectrum. Some people paid rent to live in a boarding house, or someone’s furnace room or closet. Others stayed on couches at someone else’s home. They all needed to get away sometimes. Many of the volunteers at the churches understood that.

Out of the Cold ended a few years ago. Volunteers became tired. They also weren’t equipped to handle a couple of violent incidents that were committed by a tiny minority of the people who stayed there.

When the overnight services ended at Out of the Cold, the official, government-funded shelters prepared to take in some of those people. Not everyone came, because official shelters ask questions, want you to find permanent housing, and generally feel like “the government” to homeless people.

The church hall at St. Matthews was empty at nights for several years.

Soon it will fill up again. This time, professional, trained staff will be there to help up to 70 people a night. That’s an improvement on Out of the Cold.

But instead of being sent to admittedly expensive motel rooms, these overnight guests will sleep on the floor, or sit on a chair with their heads down at a table.

That suggests they aren’t welcome to get comfortable. It says their rest isn’t important. It suggests: “Be on your way soon.” That’s a shame.