After 40 years of service, Vernon’s Upper Room Mission has closed its doors and laid off all 13 staff members. General manager Naomi Rouck, who received a pink slip herself, said the mission had already been struggling financially and the coronavirus pandemic has impacted some of its usual sources of funding.
Rouck feels that, in part, the mission is not getting the typical donations it usually receives because of belt-tightening related to the pandemic and associated financial fallout.
The pandemic has also forced the mission to close its second-hand store, another source of funding, and put a halt to fundraising events.