Samaritan House Ministries in Brandon will be hosting their ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ event at the end of February.

The national event is a family-friendly fundraising walk that supports Samaritan House’s Safe and Warm Shelter, while bringing awareness to many who are experiencing homelessness, hurt and hunger in the community.

Across the country, on February 26th, tens of thousands of Canadians will take to the streets to spend time during one of the coldest times of the year, to ‘shine a light of welcome and compassion in their community’.

“People are out in the cold and they don’t always have a place to stay, or be, and so at Samaritan House we have the Safe and Warm Shelter,” shares Executive Director, Barbara McNish. “But, having said that, those people are often hungry, because when you’re out in the cold you’re also hungry. So, both the Food Bank and the Shelter benefit from this walk and fundraiser.”

Last year, Samaritan’s Safe and Warm Shelter had 310 clients, with 6,828 bed nights.  “That’s a lot of people using our shelter,” adds McNish. 

It cost more than $35 per night per person, so federal and provincial funding is crucial.  “We have the donors who help us, and we also have the United Way, and the City of Brandon, and others.  There are so many people who help us, but we’re always short of funds so Samaritan House, itself, will kick in the difference.  It’s just the cost of everything. Everything is so expensive,” she adds.

McNish says this will be a virtual event once again.  “Which means you can walk in your own bubble and send us a picture or a video.  We all start at the same time, so it will start at 5 pm in Brandon on the evening of Saturday, February 26th.”

“You can donate to an existing team, create your own team and fundraise for your team, or if you want to sponsor us, then call me at 204-901-4231.

“Any sponsorship is greatly appreciated. We will add your logo to our list of sponsors that support Samaritan House,” shares McNish.

“We so appreciate everybody,” she adds.  “I cannot thank the community of Brandon and the surrounding area enough!  They have supported us through thick and thin, even though we’ve had a rough last few years, and it looks like it’s still going on!  But they have come through!  And, whether you give $20 a month or whether you give $20 one time, or you give more than that, every one of those donors count and help us!”

 

Since its inception in 2011, the Coldest Night of the Year has raised over $43,500,000.00 in 149 communities across Canada.

To participate or donate to Samaritan House Ministries, Brandon / Westman please follow the link:  https://cnoy.org/location/brandon

Visit https://www.facebook.com/samaritanhouseministries/ for more ways to support Samaritan House Ministries, Brandon.