The homeless call it "sleeping rough," and although those planning to spend a night in the cold will be going home afterwards, they all want to bring attention to the difficulties faced by the homeless in Windsor.
For the past two years, a group of volunteers has spent the night in an industrial parking lot. This year, the supporters of the Windsor Residence for Young Men will be on St. Luke Street. Those taking part will have access to a warming station and a toilet.
"This is a stressful event," emphasizes Executive Director Greg Goulin. "We are not averse to telling someone to go home when we feel they are done in."
For those who survive the 14 admittedly "miserable" hours in the cold, it is an opportunity to experience what some Windsorites live through daily.
Executive Director Greg Goulin participating in a past A Rough Night. (Photo courtesy of WRYM)
"It is not really fun waiting for the dawn," continued Goulin. "If they were really homeless and sleeping rough, the dawn would only mean another day finding warm food and, without assistance, hopefully, a warm place that night. Dawn for full participants means a warm meal and a bath in their warm homes with the warmth of family to discuss the experience."
What the event also does is raise money for WRYM. Those who take part can register and collect pledges that help the organization get men aged 16 to 24 back on their feet. It said in a release it had a success rate of 95 per cent over three years of keeping those men off the street.
The first year, a dozen volunteers came out and raised $2,200. Last year, there were 18 people raising $5,500. This year, the organization hopes to raise $10,000.
There are rules. For example, participants can only bring $18 and what they can carry on their backs.
Those that take part will have to confirm they are in good physical and emotional condition, understand the risks, and waive any claims to liability for injury. By taking part, volunteers will also have to permit the media to use their name and image.
Those who want to support the initiative can go to Windsor Residence for Young Men's website, go to its Facebook page, email executivedirector@wrym.ca, or call 519-981-9917.
Windsor Residence for Young Men provides its clients with a roof over their heads, individual counselling, and basic life skills. They reconnect with their community, continue their education, and find jobs, but Goulin insisted it is not a shelter. He said their efforts are more long-term in scope, reducing the homeless population by giving men the skills they need to stay off the street.
In 2019, WRYM assisted 96 clients in its transitional housing, aftercare, and outreach programs. Of those, 42 young men have graduated from the transitional housing program.
Sometimes those young men return to help others who are in the same predicament.
In January, a former homeless youth donated $13,000 to the organization's transitional housing program. The donation, and subsequent appeal to the community to match the funds, kicked off WRYM's January 2020 Urgent Funding Appeal.
"WRYM depends almost entirely on community donations, and his efforts motivated people in the community. As of January 28, the urgent fund appeal had raised $32,250.
The money from the anonymous donor came from his own savings, said Goulin.
"He can now feel confident that it was the right thing to do. Donations of well over $19,000 to match his donation say our community was very impressed," he added.
