CNOY 2023 funds ready to support Ready for Home Program
By Contributor
Few things are guaranteed but you can bet that a Canadian winter will have some chilly evenings, some even downright frigid.
Folks who are experiencing homelessness can find this weather to be life-threatening, but this February you can help.
On Saturday, February 25th, 2023 Nelson CARES Society will host the 9th annual Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY). The Coldest Night of the Year is a walk-a-thon fundraiser that raises awareness and funds for the most vulnerable right here in our community.
The funds raised by the Coldest Night of the Year walkers, donors and sponsors stay in the community to fund the Ready for Home Program operating out of Ward Street Place.
The Ready for Home program supports those residents in navigating healthcare and government documents, as well as many other challenges, allowing them to remain safely housed.
Nelson CARES preserves, maintains, and develops safe affordable housing, but sometimes acquiring a place to live is not enough and people often need some help to maintain that housing.
“Coming into this role, I was already aware of how difficult to navigate the systems (government, healthcare, etc) can be, so seeing what the residents here are facing each day, and how incredibly resilient and strong they must be to tackle this system, I am constantly impressed by the experiences I hear about and how wonderful the people that I am interacting with on a daily basis are,” said Housing Support Worker with the Ready for Home Program at Ward Street Place, Noa Dagan.
“I try to meet each person where they are as an individual, appreciating what they have pushed through to get to today, and see what skills I might have to help support them in what they need. I want to help serve in a hands-on way and build these relationships while helping them and myself become more integrated into the community we’re building here at Ward Street Place.”
Nelson CARES would like to invite everyone to spend some time on the streets on Saturday, Feb 25th and to keep in mind the challenges faced by those who spend years there. The walk will be followed by a simple chilli meal prepared by the class from the Post Graduate Hospitality Management program at Selkirk College with donations from the Kootenay Co-op Story and Save On Foods.
The event needs volunteers, team captains, walkers, and donors. Come out and help make Nelson a warmer place for everyone. Head to www.cnoy.org/nelson or email cnoy@nelsoncares.ca.
Please check out the facebook page: Coldest Night of the Year: Nelson, BC and the Instagram page: coldest_night_nelson.
