As Chatham-Kent endures a particularly cold winter, the organizers of the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraiser say the weather drives home the vulnerability of our homeless.
Al Baker of Neighbourlink, said the fundraiser supports initiatives aimed to aid C-K’s homeless and less fortunate. With the frigid temperatures, concern for our homeless is often front of mind.
“I think that with the homeless situation, people are certainly wondering where they are sleeping and who is looking after them,” he said. “People’s thoughts are certainly with them.”
CNOY is a walking fundraiser – in its 10th year – to raise operational funds for Neighbourlink, an organization that connects people in need with folks who can help. Last year, the event raised $70,000, Baker said, and to date this year, he thinks the support is trending in the same direction.
“We’re tracking about where we were at this time last year,” he said.
The walk takes place Feb. 28.
Baker scoffed at some beliefs that people choose to live on the streets.
“It’s not a lifestyle choice. They have a lot of things to deal with,” he said. “Just from the people that we meet, it’s a combination of mental illness and drug use, a lot of which is brought on by childhood trauma. It’s generational.”
Neighbourlink runs several programs in support of Chatham-Kent’s homeless. Baker said Celebrate Recovery is an addictions support group. Street Frenz is a program that distributes food to those in need, with three community dinners a month.
And then there is the aWay program that helps kids attend summer camp.
“Needy local children never get a chance to go away. We send them to summer camp for a week away,” Baker said, adding local summer camps are utilized to give these kids the camp experience.
“This is for kids who come from homes whose parents could never afford to send them,” he added. “When they go back to school in September, they’ve got something to write about for what they did on summer vacation.”
Baker said the aWay program members learn how to live with other children and develop interpersonal and leadership skills that will benefit them later in life.
Anyone looking to be part of CNOY can visit cnoy.org and “scroll down to the Chatham-Kent location page. Click on the registration tab there,” Baker said.
You can register in teams or sign up as an individual. Everyone receives a pledge form from the site and anyone raising $150 or more gets a free toque, he added.
Following the walk on the cold February evening, participants can enjoy a hot chilli supper afterwards.
CNOY takes place at Grace Christian Reformed Church on Tweedsmuir Avenue in Chatham. The event begins around 4 p.m., with the walk beginning sometime after 5 p.m.
For more information, contact Baker at 519-352-5647.
