TORONTO – New Circles is Toronto’s largest clothing bank, where low-income clients can shop for free in a retail-style setting.
With winter fast approaching, thousands of refugees and newcomers to Toronto are in need of adequate clothing.
“Many of the newcomers that come to Canada often come from warm climate countries or they come with limited resources, especially if they’re refugees or somebody fleeing from a country because of a distress situation. They’re not going to be able to pack to come to Canada,” said Alykhan Suleman, executive director of New Circles.
With the rising number of refugees arriving in Toronto, free winter clothing over the next four months is crucial, but it often takes a backseat.
New Circles depends on generous donations from individuals and families to make sure there are enough winter clothes on racks.
“We estimated about a hundred families coming through our doors a day,” said Suleman, “But on some days, especially in terrible weather conditions, we’re seeing 185 families coming through our doors. Now that’s a big jump.”
Currently the most needed items are winter coats and jackets, snow pants and snowsuits for boys, girls and teens, boots for all ages and winter accessories including hats, gloves and scarves.
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“We’ve grown our services by 50 per cent but there are more people in need and therefore, we need to be able to meet that increased challenge. This year’s target is 8,000 people,” said Suleman.
The opportunity for families to receive clean, quality items in a supportive environment is one less thing, especially at this time of year, that individuals and families in need have to worry about.
For New Circles, it’s not just about clothing, it’s about connections and community.
“Having this particular service makes it really important for newcomers to not only integrate but also from a health and a totally engagement reason in dealing with the weathers of Toronto.”
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