Which is worse – extreme heat or extreme cold? 

Many people are surprised to learn that for people facing homelessness, exposure to the heat of summer poses greater health risks than the cold of winter.  

Individuals from this population are far more likely to be hospitalized for heat-related illness than cold-related illness — 27% more likely, according to some studies.

The lack of access to cooling and hydration, combined with the exacerbation of existing health conditions, lead to illnesses like heatstroke and dehydration, which are more difficult to manage without shelter, clean water, and shade.   

That’s why we’ve been reaching out for your help over the past few weeks to provide water, sunscreen, clothing and other essentials to people served by our outreach vans.

Your support doesn’t just enable us to provide life-saving supports today. It builds bridges for tomorrow.

What many people don’t realize is that the goal of our mobile outreach vans is to increase the likelihood of people taking next steps toward self-sufficiency: housing, employment, health care, etc.  

When we show up consistently, treat people with respect and care and give them the things they need without judgement, we are building real relationships with them. We are building trust – trust in us, but also more broadly, trust in the social services that they have learned to avoid and fear.  

When they trust our outreach workers and our volunteers, they are more likely to request, and also to act upon referrals to various programs and services that are designed to help them move away from the instability of homelessness and move forward in their lives.  

Last year alone, we made 493 referrals to next-step programs and services to the people we serve from our outreach vans, including our own Life Stabilization services and Pre-employment programs. That’s 493 instances of opening the door to services supporting first steps off the streets — 28% more referrals than the year before. This year, we are on track to increase that even more. 

So — when you support us during urgent times like moments of extreme heat, when people face urgent needs, you are not only helping people survive an emergency, you are helping to set them on a path where weather won’t mean life or death, but will instead be a mere topic of conversation, like it is for most Torontonians. 

Please give to our Extreme Heat Campaign. Give not just for the sake of saving lives today, but to help change lives tomorrow. 
  
P.S. Your gift will be matched 1:1 up to $50,000 thanks to the generosity of the Eisenberg Family. 

With gratitude,  

Warmly, 

Cari Kozierok,
CEO, Ve’ahavta