MONTREAL – Becky Calabia may not be from Montreal, but she cares deeply about its homeless people.
She often comes to the city from her home in the Laurentians to give them a helping hand.
Calabia partners up with organizations like S.O.S. Intinérant to distribute clothes around homeless hotspots.
“At some point it’s moral. You have to do the logical thing and help one another. You can’t leave them like that,” Calabia said.
According to a 2015 survey by I Count MTL, Montreal has 3,016 homeless people.
The mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, has since announced his intentions to get 2,000 homeless people off the streets by 2020.
Calabia said she hopes the mayor is paying attention and will do more.
“I hope that more people are willing to help other people that are on the streets and that will show the government, Coderre and everything, that they will know that it’s a real problem,” Calabria said.
Until the city successfully follows through on the mayor’s plans, Calabria said she will continue to distribute one coat, one scarf at a time, hoping that it’s making a difference.