If you’ve ever come to the Bradford library and needed information, you have probably met Heidi Northover.
Northover has been working at various libraries in Bradford for 36 years, currently serving as an information services specialist. If you’re at the library and you need help printing a resume, need to scan a document to an email, or if you like a certain author and want some reading suggestions, she will be there to help you.
“A lot of people know me from the community because I’ve been in the library system for a long time. I’ve worked with a lot of great people, there’s a great team behind us,” said Northover.
According to Northover, the library is more than just a place to work and read, it is a "community hub" which guides people to many other services in the community. The library, she noted, is designated as a cooling centre in the summer and a warming centre in the winter, open seven days a week.
“There’s a lot of needy people that come to the library. The library is an open space for anyone. Seven hours a day we are open if your A/C breaks down or if you need to warm up in winter, no questions asked,” said Northover.
In addition to the library service Northover has provided to the community of Bradford, she feels she has more to give.
At the library, there is a display of many services provided in the community. One of the displays that piqued Northover's interest was the community service group, Out of the Cold Café.
“We’ve had displays at the front of the library with all the different community groups. Last December, a display was put up for Out of the Cold, which said that Out of the Cold serves 25-40 people a day. When I read that I was flabbergasted," said Northover.
"I said 'Wow, I need to find out where this place is.' I went to their cafe with a tin of coffee and said, 'How can I start volunteering?' Now I am one of 52 volunteers,” said Northover.
Out of the Cold Café is open seven days a week in the winter months, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In the summer they are open three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The volunteers serve in groups of five people and take different shifts throughout the week depending on people’s availability.
Out of the Cold is a drop-in centre where people can get help from caring volunteers. It's a place to socialize, get a free cup of coffee, a warm blanket, get a bite to eat, a place to warm up, or if you just need a caring person to talk to, Northover explained.
“Starbucks, Sobeys, No Frills, Perfect SZNs restaurant, and others bring in trays of food and skids of water. I brought in non-perishable food. And with me working at the library, a lot of the people were recognizing me as many would come to hang out at the library as well,” said Northover.
In the winter, when the temperature falls below -15 degrees Celsius, the town will notify them to allow emergency bedding for people to stay overnight, though the number of beds is limited. Out of the Cold is hoping to expand this service at the new location which is currently being built on Church Street.
“Bradford has never had a shelter. When we get to the new facility they will have a bigger area for this service. We are noticing an increase in demand in the winter. Many just come to warm up with a cup of coffee and talk,” said Northover.
Out of the Cold is looking for help from the community as they need funds to pay their rent in the new facility as well as the cost of the new infrastructure for their facility there.
WOW Living, the registered charity that runs Out of the Cold Café, has a promotional fundraising program on right now. They are looking for $5/month from individuals and/or businesses in the community to pay the $3,000/month rent.
Northover says she has really enjoyed her volunteer involvement with Out of the Cold. She gets "immense satisfaction" talking to people and developing empathy for their situations.
“I get to listen to their stories; some people just want a hug. You get to see where they are coming from. People come in for some soup and they say, ‘that soup is so good, can I have another bowl?’ The coffee maker makes 55 cups of coffee, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all 55 cups get used,” she said.
Northover sees retirement from the library on the horizon, but has no plans on slowing down. Instead, she wants to increase her volunteer involvement, so she is looking at other options to fill her time.
Not surprising, some of that retirement will be spent at the library; she plans to join the Friends of the Library group and volunteer for the Reading Buddy group.
“I’m also thinking of the food bank, The Clothes Line through Contact Community Services, and possibly CHATS, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors," she said.
"I want to volunteer because I want to stay busy, I want to have a reason to get up every morning. I’m not going to stay in my pajamas," she said with a chuckle.
