Wolves serve dinner to kick off Coldest Night of the Year

The Samaritan Centre has announced the kick-off to the fourth annual “Coldest Night of the Year ” winter walk event.

The kick-off takes place on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. when six members of the Sudbury Wolves visit the Elgin Street Mission at the Samaritan Centre, 344 Elgin St., to assist in serving dinner to those in need.

The fourth annual “Coldest Night of the Year” fundraising walk takes place on Feb. 20 at 5 p.m., starting at the Rainbow Centre.

The goal is to raise much-needed funds for the Samaritan Centre and to raise awareness regarding the issue of homelessness and poverty in Sudbury.

The Samaritan Centre is a multi-agency facility made up of the Elgin Street Mission, Blue Door Soup Kitchen and Corner Clinic.

It serves between 300 and 400 people daily with feeding programs, clothing depot, shower facilities, housing referrals and medical appointments. It also is a warming centre in the winter months when the temperature dips below -15.

Currently, there are more than 400 people in Sudbury who are deemed “homeless” and more than 1,000 who are at risk of being homeless.

The “Coldest Night of the Year” walk is a national event which takes place simultaneously in 80 cities across Canada. This event benefits solely those agencies which are involved in serving the poor and the homeless.

To register to walk or sign up a team to walk in this event, go to coldestnightoftheyear.org.