The Sudbury Wolves will once again be working with the Samaritan Centre to raise awareness around the issue of homelessness in Sudbury.
This year, Feb. 24 will be the Coldest Night of the Year, as the Samaritan Centre holds its sixth annual winter walk to benefit the work of the Samaritan Centre.
The official kick off for the event will be Tuesday, Jan. 9 from 5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., when members of the Sudbury Wolves visit the Elgin Street Mission at the Samaritan Centre, 344 Elgin St., to assist in serving dinner.
The “Coldest Night of the Year” is the Samaritan Centre’s most important annual fundraiser, and a key event for raising awareness of the issue of homelessness and poverty in Sudbury.
Walkers form teams and raise money through pledges at the CNOY website (www.coldestnightoftheyear.org). The CNOY walk leaves from the Rainbow Centre on Feb. 24, where walkers will enjoy live music and a chili dinner before walking through Downtown.
“There are currently over 400 people who are considered homeless in Sudbury, and over 1,000 who would be considered at risk,” said Samaritan Centre executive eirector Kevin Serviss, in a press release.
“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.”
The Samaritan Centre is a multi-agency facility on Elgin Street made up of the Elgin Street Mission, Blue Door Soup Kitchen and Corner Clinic.
It serves 300-400 persons daily with feeding programs, clothing depot, shower facilities, housing referrals and medical appointments. It is also a warming centre in the winter months when the temperature dips below -15 C. In December, a cold weather alert was called a total of 18 times, (by contrast, December 2016 saw only one cold weather alert called).
The goal for this year’s Coldest Night of the Year Walk is to raise $50,000 in pledges and corporate sponsorship, which helps cover the annual expenses of the Samaritan Centre and keep overhead costs low for its associated charities.
For more information, visit www.coldestnightoftheyear.org, or like the Samaritan Centre Facebook page.
