Lethbridge outreach groups are in urgent need of donations ahead of winter

LETHBRIDGE — The above-seasonal temperatures southern Alberta has experienced throughout November may be deceiving for some, but winter is only 29 days away and outreach groups are putting out the call for donations.

And it's an urgent one.

"We are seeing the highest number of people accessing our services and other service providers that we have in the past," said Cameron Kissick, chief operations officer with Streets Alive Mission.

"We're seeing newer groups of individuals ... having to access services like ours."

Despite the mild start to fall, Kissick says staff at the People In Need (PIN) Bank are busy collecting and organizing donations of winter clothing ahead of the weather change.

"It's still getting cold at night. As soon as the sun goes down, we are seeing that – colder temperatures – and people need to protect themselves," Kissick said.

Welcome donations include jackets, hoodies, winter boots, gloves, blankets, socks and underwear, along with water-proof items.

The Lethbridge Wellness Shelter, operated by the Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH), has started a winter donation drive looking for grocery items, clothing and hygiene supplies.

"Frostbite can happen so quickly and when our temperatures fluctuate as wildly as they do in Lethbridge, people can often get caught off-guard without them (proper clothes)," said Connie McKenzie, health-care aid and donation drive organizer at the shelter.

According to the latest Point in Time count, there are more than 450 individuals experiencing homelessness in Lethbridge.

Shelter staff say the need for donations is urgent and they hope to collect items before the snow and cold set in.

However, collecting enough donations isn't the only challenge staff face.

"Clients are able to have one bin of space for storage, so sometimes, the bulkier items like a sleeping bag or big bulky snow pants take up a lot of the bin space that people might be able to utilize for all of their items," said Suzanne Buchanan, manager of nurse practitioner services with the BTDH and donation drive organizer.

Donations are being accepted at Streets Alive Mission and at the shelter throughout the winter.