Every year, thousands of Canadians have no choice but to brave the weather in search of a warm place to sleep.
To show their solidarity with this marginalized group, 131 local residents participated in this weekend’s Coldest Night of the Year charity walk to raise money for the Guesthouse Shelter in downtown Midland.
“The greatest thing about this event is it puts a new perspective on the issue,” said Guesthouse executive director Nathan Sykes.
“A lot of people don’t experience having to walk out in the cold and for some it’s their only option. We hope that it inspires people to think about those that experience chronic homelessness, especially during these cold months.”
And unlike some of the previous years where walkers were greeted by unseasonably warm temperatures, this time around it was actually one of the coldest nights of the year.
Residents take a step in the right direction for those facing homelessness by raising close to $35,000 towards a $50,000 overall goal with donations open until the end of March.
“This is the single most important fundraising event for shelters across Canada. It helps to raise approximately 30% of the funding gap between the generosity of the province and county,” said Mayor Bill Gordon,
“The Guesthouse has been chronically underfunded the last few years, resulting in a service delivery challenge for daytime programming that helps keep people off the streets during the daytime. We encourage everyone to visit the website and donate generously to help achieve their goal of ending chronic homelessness in Simcoe County.”
The community came together to make donations and inspire others to join in on helping those in need.
“I got everyone to join in by drumming up the members from the group,” said local Ganaraska Hiking Trail Club member Frieda Baldwin.
“Some have relatives that have experienced homelessness and they felt like it was a good cause.”
Residents got a real sense of the cold when temperatures dropped halfway through the five-kilometre walk. Luckily, there was hot chocolate and water to help keep people moving.
“If I were in the position of someone who didn’t have anywhere to go, I would hate to not have the resources that The Guesthouse offers,” participant Sarah Scanlon explained.
“They do so much more than just being somewhere warm. They help with employment, getting an apartment, and every aspect of getting your life on track.”
Zena Pendlebury is a member of St. Paul’s United Church, which helped foster the great connection between the church and its next-door neighbour.
“Last year, they didn’t have anywhere to host this event and we offered to host it this year,” Pendlebury said.
“That’s how the connection started. We work well together and support them in any way we can,” she said. “There’s two things we get out of this: (raising) awareness to as many people as we can about the homeless population and funding. They have to raise a certain percentage of their budget to be able to run properly.”
After the walk, everyone gathered at St. Paul’s to share a warm cup of stew and chili, tasty treats and warm beverages donated by local businesses and served by First Penetanguishene Sparks and Embers.
