'I've never really seen it this empty': Organizations in desperate need of donations as cold approaches

Winter weather is arriving in Manitoba, and that is sparking donation calls from organizations to help those in need.

United Way Winnipeg, which runs the Koats for Kids program, accepts all winter clothing, but some items are needed more than others at the moment.

"We are desperately looking for waterproof gloves and mitts for kids and adults. All sizes are needed,” said Melissa Burgess, the senior manager of engagement initiatives with United Way Winnipeg.

"We are also desperately low on coats and ski pants for teen boys in particular, so ranging from size 12 to 18. Our boot shelves are completely bare, so we are looking for warm winter boots for kids and adults, all sizes, and we also are really looking for coats for men and women right now too. So we're looking for sizes large and extra large for women and all sizes for men."

Those are items that Siloam Mission is in need of, as well, in addition to everyday clothing.

"(We need) basic layers, so underwear, Long Johns, T-shirts, jeans, men's and women's pants…sweaters," said Luke Thiessen, the communications specialist for Siloam Mission.

It's a similar story for Main Street Project. Cindy Titus, the organization's communication specialist says the donation shelves are currently bare.

"It's very empty and in my time working here, I've never really seen it this empty, and the winter weather is coming this week," said Titus. "We're very concerned about our ability to meet the needs of the community right now."

This is a situation Burgess has noticed as well, and wonders if it has to do with the nice fall temperatures that Winnipeg had recently.

"It's hard to say this early in the season, but it seems like so far donations seem to be a little bit slower coming in," said Burgess. "We've been blessed with such a beautiful fall that maybe people aren't going through their closets yet and pulling out those winter coats."

Thiessen thinks there could be a few factors to the empty shelves, including the current economic situation for Manitobans.

"It's tough for people. It's been a tough few years and folks are maybe not buying a new winter coat and donating the old one this fall, not cycling through their closets and their wardrobes quite as much," said Thiessen.

The latest forecast from Environment and Climate Change Canada for Winnipeg shows snow is expected until Friday and temperatures will be dipping below zero going into the weekend. It's these changes that Burgess hopes will get people thinking about donating again.

"I'm hoping that with the temperature changing now, people are going to start taking a look through their clothing bins and through their closets and going those items and dropping things off if they have something to donate," said Burgess.

HOW TO DONATE

United Way Winnipeg has several locations where people can take items. The best way to find the nearest location is to visit the organization’s website. Online is also where people can contribute money if they don't have items to donate.

For Siloam and Main Street, people can bring items directly to their locations, but both organizations have also set up Amazon wishlists that people can order from.

"On that list is a number of items that we need," said Titus. "So if you can't come down and donate in person or you live outside of the city and you can't make it into the city to donate, you can purchase an item or a few items from our Amazon wishlist, and your donation will be mailed directly to us."

Thiessen said this is one of the newer and most convenient ways to get support from more people.

"More and more people are shopping online and are doing more of their business there," said Thiessen. "It really makes it easy. You can get some good deals and then make your donation go a long way. Plus, something that I think not a lot of people realize but might be a good selling point for that is if you donate brand new items through an Amazon wishlist, we can issue you a tax receipt."