This year might go down as one of the coldest winters in recent Toronto history, and it’s not over yet.
As the air continues to freeze our faces, most of us don’t have to worry about being stuck outside for very long.
Reports earlier this season of the deaths of three homeless men due to freezing temperatures were not only depressing, but just plain wrong.
No one in a modern, developed country should die in such a horrific way.
This tragic news motivated two university students, Katharine Heng and Jane Mathias, to create City of Sleeping Bags – a plan to crowdfund $5000 for the purchase of 100 portable, easy to roll sleeping bags that also come with blankets for summer use.
“Having spent many years studying, working, and living in Toronto, we have been witness to many of the city’s radical changes. One constant however, has remained – the city’s homeless population. City of Sleeping Bags’ goal is to give back to those in need in our own small way,” they wrote on their website.
While 100 bags likely are not enough to help the large homeless population in the city, their aim is to offset the overcrowding at shelters that leads to many having no choice but to sleep outside in the cold.
They will also be including cold weather survival packs with the bags that consist of socks, gloves, hand warmers, winter hats, and food gift cards.
Their campaign is active until March 21st, and they’ve already raised more than $4000 of their $5000 goal.
Help them offset the frigid temperatures for those who need the help most by donating to the campaign. The more they raise, the more bags they can purchase, and more people they can help stay warm.
#NOTABLE
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.