Cold weather finds Kingston’s Integrated Care Hub looking for help for the unhoused

With these continuing cold temperatures, the Integrated Care Hub on Montreal Street in Kingston is looking to the public for donations.

On the list of much-needed items are personal care products like toothbrushes, toothpaste and underwear, energy bars, can openers and clothes to help the unhoused population keep clean, warm and dry this winter.

“Mittens, hats, gloves, scarves, warm coats, winter boots — all of those things are necessities for people that spend a lot of their time outdoors,” said Executive Director of HIV/AIDS Regional Services Gilles Charette.

Along with personal hygiene items, Charette says ready-to-go food is also an important donation the Hub is looking for.

“Snack items, things between meals that people need, healthy snacks, things that people can consume without the need for a heater, a microwave, a kettle,” he said.

Theresa Davidson lives at a encampment on the front lawn of the Kingston Memorial Centre and has done everything she can to insulate the tent she sleeps in.

“I need a couple more tarps, so I got a couple blankets and rain coats up that somebody donated for now,” said Davidson.

“I’ve got stuff against the walls at the bottom, too, because you do feel some air,” she added, referring to her tent setup.

Wes Barr who also has a tent set up at the Memorial Centre says he has a similar arrangement, saying at one point his shelter consisted of a large insulated freezer bag.

“At one point I was living in my bag… I’d get right inside that thing and stay warm,” Barr said.

Both Davidson and Barr say the one saving grace is the ability to plug in and run electric heaters in their tent.

“Without the plug-ins we would all probably freeze to death,” said Barr.

Charette says exposure in the cold is a constant risk for the unhoused.

“We do have nurses who are on site at different times to do wound care and do checks on people who have had extremities that have been exposed to the cold and who have frostbite, absolutely,” explained Charette.

Care hub managers say a range of factors like a lack of meaningful employment, stigmatization and inflation are all stretching support services in the community.

“All of the shelter spaces are working at capacity, spaces that are used to isolate individuals who contracted COVID are also often stretched,” said Charette.

Any donations of winter clothing and other needed items can be dropped off at the Integrated Care Hub at 661 Montreal St., Kingston.