YWCA Regina is expecting 23 teams and 130 walkers to take part in the sixth annual Coldest Night of the Year walk on Saturday.
With COVID-19, this year’s event will be held virtually, with teams walking their own five kilometre routes.
The event raises money and awareness for Regina’s homeless, hungry and hurting, particularly women.
YWCA Regina CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, said for women and children, homelessness can appear very different than it does for men.
“Most often it involves violence, it involves domestic dispute, and often times women don’t necessarily live on the streets, or we don’t see them panhandling, those are some of the things we think of when we think of homelessness,” Coomber-Bendtsen said. “Many times though they’re living in unsafe situations or are couch surfing.” she added.
Coomber-Bendtsen said another stat that many are not aware of is simply that there are homeless women.
“Our last point in time count that was done around two years ago now, showed that over 50 percent of those that were homeless, living in a precarious situation or couch surfing were indeed women,” Coomber-Bendtsen said.
Funds raised from the event will go towards YWCA Regina’s My Aunts Place, which is currently the city’s only homeless shelter for women and children.
