Winnipeg organizations urge community support for winter gear donations

As the colder weather approaches, local organizations working with Winnipeg’s most vulnerable residents are seeking support. Whether it’s a warm jacket, winter boots, or something as small as a pair of socks, they say anything can make a huge difference at this time of year.

“We don’t have enough boots right now for what we know is going to be a huge demand coming up,” said Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, CEO at Siloam Mission.

There’s a lack of warm clothes heading into the winter, and all of the organizations we spoke to say they are hopeful to receive more donations.

“We might not think of a parka as life-saving, but when somebody is experiencing homelessness or staying at our shelter and they are walking to work or walking to their appointments, or deciding to sleep rough—which means sleeping outside—a parka can literally save someone’s life,” said Blaikie.

The organizations stress that providing the homeless with any type of winter gear can help ensure their safety during the winter.

“We’ve seen people lose their toes, have their toes amputated, and lose fingers; we had one fellow a few years ago who lost his leg from the knee down due to very serious frostbite,” said Marion Willis, Founder and Executive Director at St. Boniface Street Links.

“Folks experiencing homelessness tend to develop foot health-related issues that can become quite serious, so we just want to do everything we can to keep feet healthy for people,” said Cindy Titus, Communications Manager at Main Street Project.

The need for winter apparel at this time of year is a shared issue among the city’s local organizations helping the homeless, and they say anywhere from 70 to over 100 people are coming to them for support daily.

“Any winter gear is really important for us right now, all the way from mitts, toques, scarves, etc., to more serious items like parkas,” said Blaikie.

“Anybody that can help, send your items this way. They may be old, maybe not useful for you, or maybe they don’t look great. They don’t have to look great; they just have to be warm,” said Willis.

Clothing donations can be dropped off at the shelters, and each organization’s hours and needs can be found on their websites.