A new non-profit group in New Brunswick is trying to raise awareness around homelessness.
Delivering Hope Atlantic Canada, founded about a month ago by Steven Williams, is a group of more than 30 volunteers.
They drive around handing out jackets, clothes, blankets and gift cards for coffee shops to help get people back on their feet.
Helping the homeless was an important step for the Williams family after a recent tragedy.
“About five weeks ago, we lost my little brother, John. He was 45 years old,” said Steven.
“He died of (multiple sclerosis). My mom and I were talking, and one thing about my brother John, he really believed in helping the homeless.”
Being a volunteer for the group and driving around at the age of 75 is something Steven’s mom, Freda, is happy to take part in.
“It means a lot. It really makes me feel good because when I come back from there, I know I did something to help somebody,” she said. “Because (John) was always helping.”
The City of Moncton recently opened a new out-of-the-cold shelter to help combat homelessness, but Steven feels the need to provide further support in the community, doing things like handing out donations the group receives.
“Some people just won’t go to a shelter,” he said. “It could be a drug problem or it could be a mental illness, and some of them are just paranoid.”
“At first, honestly, we started and we were only supposed to do this once a week. It was supposed to be Thursday nights,” says Delivering Hope vice-president Luc Arsenault. “We had enough volunteers that showed up that we were able to do the whole week, seven days a week.”
The group held its first annual fundraiser Sunday.
Live music was scheduled throughout the day before a couple group members settled in for a cold night — four of Delivering Hope’s volunteers are bundling up and plan to stay in a tent overnight.
“It’s going to be cold, but the awareness needs to be there,” says Arsenault.