YWCA Regina Launches Coldest Night of the Year to End Family Homelessness

Regina – YWCA Regina is hosting Coldest Night of the Year, an annual fundraiser to end family homelessness in the community, on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at St. Paul’s Cathedral. During the month-long campaign, donations will be accepted by individuals who sign up to walk a route 2, 5, or 10 kilometres in length through Regina’s Downtown and Heritage neighbourhoods.

“Family homelessness is often invisible,” says Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, CEO at YWCA Regina. “Women and families will couch surf, staying at various locations for short periods of time. It’s not the same homelessness that we see on the streets of Regina and must be addressed in a different, more thoughtful way.”

Funds collected during the Coldest Night of the Year campaign will help YWCA Regina programs bring hundreds of women and children in from the cold. YWCA Regina shelters are at maximum capacity, and in 2017, My Aunt’s Place (Regina’s only 24-hour emergency homeless shelter for women and families) turned away 1161 women and 412 children due to a lack of space.

“At My Aunt’s Place, we see the diversity of family homelessness and create spaces where the walls of isolation can be broken down,” continues Coomber-Bendtsen. “Creating a sense of community and setting women and families up for a successful transition into stable, affordable housing is part of our mandate. We truly want to see these families succeed.”

Coldest Night of the Year is a nationwide event organized in communities across the country to bring awareness and raise funds in support of family homelessness and poverty programs in Canada. To learn more about Coldest Night of the Year and to sign up a team, please visit https://cnoy.org/location/regina.