Sudbury joined in action with 120 cities across Canada for a walk on the “Coldest Night of the Year” to raise awareness about the needs of society's least fortunate, and to raise funds for programs and services to help them.
Organizers reminded the hundreds of participants who gathered at the Rainbow Centre Mall of the plight of the city's sometimes invisible homeless population.
“Today the temperatures are mild, but imagine doing the walk in -40. Today most participants might come to terms with a fraction of reality that homeless people face,” Sean Barrette, a Samaritan Centre volunteer, said.
The annual march calls upon Sudbury communities to form teams and raise money through pledges for the Samaritan Centre.
“This year our goal was to raise $50,000 and we were already at $64,000 at the beginning of the march,” Barrette said.
The funds accumulated are distributed among the partner organizations of the Elgin Street Mission, the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, and the Corner Clinic, which together provide services like feeding programs, clothing depot, shower facilities, housing referrals and medical appointments for people living under the grips of poverty.
“There are currently over 400 people who are considered homeless in Sudbury, and over 1,000 who would be considered at risk,” Kevin Serviss, Samaritan Centre executive director, said. “Coldest Night of the Year helps us help those individuals, and the many thousands more who access the services available at our facility every year.”
In 2016, roughly 872 Sudburians accessed emergency shelters in Sudbury, City of Greater Sudbury Report Card on Homelessness noted. Although the city noted a decline in the number of people accessing the services the length of stay had increased.
In an effort to curb homelessness Sudbury adopted a "housing first" policy in 2016 that aims to provide independent housing and support services for those experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.
