Imagine spending a cold winter day walking the streets in soggy, frigid socks.
For the growing number of homeless people in Barrie, their feet suffer the most trauma as they spend so much time standing outside where it’s hard to keep their feet warm and dry.
A pair of clean, dry socks not only provides warmth, but can also help prevent blisters and infections as well.
Hundreds of pairs of socks for men and women have been collected during October, as Out of the Cold gets set for another season.
Providing warm, dry socks is just one way that volunteers will make a difference at Barrie Out of the Cold from November 15 to April 30, 2016.
Over 150 volunteers attended training Saturday morning at Bethel Community Church in Barrie, learning what to expect as they start their shifts with Out of the Cold later this week.
Vicky Howard is back on the job this winter, for the 14th year, this time as a program coordinator at Bethel.
"I have been working with the homeless since I was in high school in Thunder Bay," she said. "It's just part of my life."
The Out of the Cold program originated in Toronto in response to the 1986 death of a homeless man. From its humble beginning, the program spread throughout Toronto and into many other cities across Canada.
In January 1998 St. Andrew’s Church was the first Barrie church to open its doors.
There are now five participating churches - St. Andrew's, Collier St. United, Central United, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic and Bethel Community Church - providing shelter seven days a week.
Last winter, 4,589 used the program.
Over 1,100 dedicated volunteers are needed to run the program out of five local churches. Starting next week, they will be open every night on a rotating basis and up to 35 people can come in out of the cold, enjoy hot dinners and breakfasts and support.
Currently, all shifts are covered, but there is still a need for people to work as "spares", especially for overnight shifts which are traditionally the most difficult to fill.
If you can help, or for more information, visit barrieoutofthecold.org.
