Please bring items to help warm the homeless

The cold weather is upon us again, and so is the need for items to help warm those without shelter. 

As we did last year, we are partnering with Cpl. Randy Wong and his wife Sahar, along with the wider Lynn Valley community, to donates some of the most-needed items for the kits created by the couple. You can learn more about their mission by having a read of their website.

The following is pulled from the LynnValleyLife neighbourhood news site:

We recently spoke with Sahar and Randy and are happy to be partnering up for another winter season. LynnValleyLife offices will be open to your donations of the requested items on their list, from now until a date to be determined after Christmas. Our office is open 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, or if a weekend drop-off is preferred you can bring your donation to the drop box at St. Clement’s Anglican Church, 3400 Institute Rd. (across Lynn Valley Park), Sundays until 1 p.m.

As you’ll see on their website, requested items are as follows. Custom kits are made for men and for women. Please draw from the list and do not donate coats or other miscellaneous items that the kits cannot accommodate.

• Adult sized winter wool-blend or fleece knitted gloves (they stretch and fit a majority of hand sizes)
• Adult sized winter wool-blend or fleece  toque (they stretch and fit a majority of head sizes)
• Wool or winter socks (men’s sizes 9-11, women’s one size fits all).
• Plastic vinyl rain ponchos (stronger and lasts longer).
• Hand warmer packets.
• Ziplock bags (10 inches x 11 inches).

As noted on the Warming the Homeless website, ‘We request that new items are purchased to complete our packages. We want the homeless to feel that they are worthy of new clothing and not old, used and discarded clothing items.” Sahar has told us at LynnValleyLife that she doesn’t wish to sound ungrateful by being quite specific about their requests; she just doesn’t want people to go to the expense and effort of donating something that may not be able to be put to use.

Wood blend blankets (80 per cent wool, 20 per cent polyester) have also been found to be very helpful to those on the street. She notes that moving blankets, which the couple launder at their own expense prior to distributing, fit the need well and welcomes contact from anyone in the moving industry who might have some to donate.

Thank you in advance, St. Clement's, for any donations you are able to make. Please see Peggy if you have any questions.