Over 700,000 bottles of water distributed to homeless people in the GTA
Content of the article
There’s no better time than the present for Project Water, a program of the charity Engage and Change.
Content of the article
With temperatures expected to feel near 43C with humidity Thursday in the Greater Toronto Area, Project Water founder Jody Steinhauer was busy helping distribute around 700,000 bottles of water from the parking lot of her 34-year-old discount wholesale company, Bargains Group, with valuable cargo catering to the homeless in more than 200 locations.
“How sad that the agencies that were serving didn’t have access to clean water, to drinking fountains,” Steinhauer said. “Homelessness is not a problem in downtown Toronto — it’s happening everywhere.
Steinhauer, who started Project Water 24 years ago, saw the need to make a difference and has since brought together sponsors such as BlueTriton Brands, Fortigo Freight Services, Toronto Police Services, CIBC, Scotiabank and Perimeter Development Group with around 100 volunteers from these companies on hand to help on Wednesday.
Content of the article
“Sometimes just giving a homeless person a bottle of water allows that conversation to get them treated and hopefully help them,” Steinhauer told the Sun after the press conference. “And we don’t have enough water. As much as we have, we always need help. It’s a sad situation. When you think of Toronto and its value, it’s just plain wrong. We should have housing so people have taps.
Glenn Vangulik, the Salvation Army’s divisional public relations secretary, called the lack of water for the homeless a “life or death situation”. We see people struggling every day with their needs and support… and the water is going very, very far, especially with a heat alert starting over the weekend. It just saves lives.
Steinhauer added that someone had just broken into Engage and Change’s temporary warehouse and stolen donated goods like sleeping bags for ti’s Project Winter Survival program which runs in mid-January.
“The Bargains Group van is going back and forth, we’re getting everything we can, as we talk about this warehouse,” she said. “Someone came in and stole supplies for the homeless. How bad is that? We need help.”