Royal City residents will be able to warm their heads and feet to help those who are at risk of being left out in the cold.
A contingent of local residents will hit the streets on Feb. 4, in support of Toque Tuesday. The annual event raises funds and awareness about homelessness.
“We have got a venue set up at the library and Douglas College,” said Dave Brown, who coordinates the local campaign. “We are going to have folks at all the different SkyTrain stations during high-volume times.”
Funds raised locally will be split between the Lookout Emergency Aid Society and the Broadway Youth Resource Centre, organizations that help those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“The issue around homelessness is not going away. It is still there,” said Brown, manager of Lookout’s programs in New Westminster. “Housing is huge.”
In addition to selling toques and socks, volunteers hope that Toque Tuesday will also raise awareness about homelessness.
“It’s getting the word out and saying to people, this can happen to anyone,” Brown told The Record. “I see people in our shelters, the working poor.”
Brown said people’s response to homelessness is often “why not just get a job” – not realizing many people who are at risk of homelessness are working poor who barely make enough to survive because of the high cost of living.
“We need a national housing strategy,” Brown added. “We don’t have one. We haven’t had one since the 90s. We are long overdue.”
Raising the Roof launched Toque Tuesday 17 years ago to raise funds to help address long-term solutions for homelessness. Eighty per cent of funds raised go to local agencies in communities and 20 per cent of net proceeds go toward Raising the Roof’s national homeless initiatives.
According to Raising the Roof, it’s estimated that 200,000 individuals, youth and families experience homelessness each year in Canada, with 30,000 Canadians experiencing homelessness on any given night and up to 50,000 “hidden” homeless couch-surfing or staying with friends, family or other people because they have no place to go.
Royal City residents can be on the lookout for volunteers selling red, black and grey toques, as well as socks, on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at locations around the city.
