Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre Outreach Team Supporting the Homeless During this Week’s Sweltering Heat.

Salvation Army urges public to call 311 if they are concerned about someone in the heat.

The Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre Outreach Team is checking on the well-being of the homeless population in the city during this week’s heat wave.

The two teams of highly trained staff members serves those living on the streets every day of the year. With the teams on the streets working each day, the branded Salvation Army Outreach vans bring clothing, water, snacks and PPE to those who are most vulnerable. The van also transports individuals to medical facility’s and to appropriate shelter.

This is also an opportunity for Salvation Army staff to help and support those with no place to call home, building the critical trust that can open doors to housing.

During this week’s heat warning, The Outreach Teams will be working extended hours and starting their day at 7 am to ensure the city’s most vulnerable are taken care of. The teams will also be providing bottles of water and cool clothing to the homeless population in need, and also transporting individuals to the city’s four cooling centres if they are getting over heated.

If you are concerned about anyone out in the heat, you are asked to please call 311 and our Outreach Team will be dispatched to support that individual(s).

“The unsheltered population has seen a lot of their routine places such as malls and coffee shops where they would go to cool off close due to the pandemic,” said Kristen MacDonald, The Salvation Army Outreach Services Coordinator. “It’s so important to help us identify these people in need of shelter so we can give them options to stay safe while the heat warning is on.”

Some of the homeless population may also be dealing with health issues and addictions which makes them more vulnerable during the extreme heat.

“Providing these services to the homeless population shows that someone cares about them, and our goal is to help as many vulnerable individuals as possible,” said Kristen. “We’re here to provide hope and we encourage the broader community to help us during these times, so nobody is left behind. Please, call 311 and we will deploy our team who will provide much needed help.”

To provide financial support to The Salvation Army, donations can be made online at www.salvationarmy.ca or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY, where donations can also be directed to a specific program or location.

By: Caroline Franks