Quinte residents are invited to bundle up and step out in support of the Coldest Night of the Year walk supporting Grace Inn Shelter in Belleville.
The annual family-friendly fundraiser aims to raise $75,000. It is happening on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the 21-bed emergency shelter located at 215 Church Street.
“It is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Ashley Vader, Director of Operations at Grace Inn Shelter and Shiloh House. “The funds raised go directly into our local programming such as bed-night stays, guest services programs and the Shiloh House transitional house.”
So far 37 teams with 109 walkers have signed up and over $13,000 has been raised.
Last year’s event raised $70,000 to ensure their basic program needs are covered.
The event helps purchase food, hygiene products and hand warmers along with staffing and operational costs, Vader explained.
The shelter assists 230 individuals annually and ‘the need is growing.’
With a rise in people moving to the Quinte Region, over the past five years, there is less housing availability, she said. This coupled with ongoing rent, cost of living and grocery prices, individuals find it harder to make ends meet.
“We are seeing people enter into homelessness that have never experienced it before,” Vader stressed. “This need is ever-increasing. It is an unfortunate turn that our country has taken but we really want to step up and say this is absolutely not the direction that we are going in and we want to do something about it.”
Grace Inn guests are “vocalizing that they just can’t keep up with rent and the way that it is increasing,” she continued.
“We are seeing a lot more people needing to use our food banks than ever before. Where their extra money might have gone into saying for a rainy day it is all going toward feeding themselves or their family members. People are having to make decisions between rent and groceries. ”
The shelter serves individuals from all walks of life and demographics.
“We have people who have full-time jobs. They have car payments that they are trying to make. They are still trying to remain involved in their children’s lives all while staying at an emergency homeless shelter. These are our neighours. They are our friends. They are our family members.”
Their hope is community members will step up and step out to help their fellow community members who need Grace Inn services.
Coldest Night participants can choose to take part in a 2k or a 5k walk.
“It is a fun time. We put fire pits out to keep people warm. We have food and hot beverages. This is a great way to get out in the cold in the wintertime, get your steps in but challenge your co-workers and your community to step up. Let’s not just have a conversation about it but do something about it this year.”
To donate or participate click here.
