Community organizations looking after unsheltered Winnipeggers during cold snap

WINNIPEG -

Community organizations are hard at work making sure the city's most vulnerable citizens are safe and warm during the extreme cold snap.

On Sunday morning, Kevin Walker, the interim executive director of The Bear Clan Patrol, filled his vehicle full of donations and handed them out to folks who needed them most.

"A lot of people don't have proper boots, a lot of people don't have mitts, and it's just a way of life down here sometimes. They just don't have the proper resources to get those things, so we provide that."

Walker said the Bear Clan Patrol typically does a patrol on foot from Wednesday to Sunday, but with COVID-19 numbers soaring, they've reduced the number of people in a patrol and are relying on vehicles to cover more ground.

"Foot patrols where we were using backpacks, we could get lots of (donations) out, but again with COVID and our teams being a little smaller, mobile is the way to go right now."

Walker said Bear Clan has a working relationship with other community support services in the city, like Main Street Project, whose community outreach van operates 24/7 to keep people safe and warm through the winter.

Sean Sousa, Main Street Project's outreach manager, said their van checks in on people living unsheltered throughout the city and supplies them with everything from winter gear to harm reduction kits.

Sousa said it's a group effort.

"All of the shelters work together, and if we have access, we support other shelters to supply those folks. We're all just trying to take care of the people who are living unsheltered."

The City of Winnipeg is also doing its part to keep people warm during the winter.

In a statement to CTV, a Spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg said in part:

"Members of the public who need a temporary spot to seek a reprieve from the cold can come in and warm up in civic facilities during regular operating hours."

"As it relates to unsheltered Winnipeggers, the City of Winnipeg is in contact with End Homelessness Winnipeg and sheltering partners on a regular basis, including through our participation on the Extreme Weather Response Committee, to identify needs and planning for supports to the community as required."

As for Walker, he said the Bear Clan Patrol's winter gear is going fast, and it's putting out a call for donations of food, mitts, and hand warmers.

"I'd like to get as many supplies out as we can today, just to make sure our community members are taken care of."

To donate food or clothing to The Bear Clan Patrol, you can visit their Facebook page for details. People can also visit Main Street Project's website for information on when and where to drop off clothing donations.