Streets Alive Mission serves many homeless and marginalized people throughout the year, but the holiday season is when donations are needed the most.
“Christmas is a really busy time at the mission,” said Marie McLennan, the organization’s associate director of philanthropy. “This is the time of year where we gain our budget for the next year, so we’ll know what kind of programs and the sort of things we’re going to be able to fund.”
Some people at the mission say they have firsthand knowledge about just how important donations to the organizations are.
“I don’t know what I would have done when I was on the streets if I couldn’t come here,” Tracie Horvat said on Monday.
Horvat now works at Streets Alive, but a few years ago she was homeless and depended on the mission for help.
“They clothed me, they fed me, they loved me,” Horvat said. “Without donations, none of that happens.”
Watch below: Some Global News videos about the Streets Alive Mission.
Programs at Streets Alive help lift people out of poverty. The programs offered include life-skills courses, employment-readiness initiatives and money management services, all of which are available at no cost to their clients.
“I would have had no safe place to go if we didn’t have lights on and food and people to be here to run the programming and stuff,” Horvat said. “I don’t think people understand how much support we can get here.”
Streets Alive is currently preparing for the winter season.
“It hasn’t gotten cold, and so we’re finding that we’re really looking for layering — so hoods, lightweight coats, vests.”
Donations can be dropped off to Streets Alive directly, and the organization said any generosity will make a difference.
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