The Gateway Toronto Street Outreach Program Keeps Homeless Safe During Bitter Cold

During the extreme cold temperatures in Toronto this week, The Salvation Army Toronto Gateway Outreach Services team is assisting anyone in need of shelter, warm clothing, food and water.

For 20 years, the Outreach team at The Gateway emergency shelter and drop-in centre have offered shelter and kept individuals safe and warm during the cold winter months. The team consists of four staff plus a supervisor, who patrol the area of Toronto east of Parliament Street to Victoria Park and from Lake Ontario to Highway 401. During cold weather alerts, The Gateway coverage area extends to Sheppard Avenue to provide more support to people living in homeless encampments.

“We expanded through COVID-19, and that allowed us to expand our team as well. We now have two vehicles and four Outreach staff working two shifts, seven days a week. Before COVID, we were only working Monday through Friday,” said Darcy Obokata, Outreach Program Supervisor at The Gateway. “We’re always working to help those living rough in encampments or experiencing homelessness to help them find indoor spaces, whether it be shelters or ideally permanent housing.”

During extreme cold, the City of Toronto opens its warming centres to provide places for anyone to shelter indoors, and The Gateway Outreach program staff encourage people to take advantage of those centres, where they can grab a snack and access washroom facilities. Darcy says Outreach staff regularly visit between 20 and 30 known encampment locations to check on the 40 to 60 people on its active caseload.

For individuals who choose to remain outdoors over the winter, The Gateway provides sleeping bags, clothing, gloves, scarves hats and handwarmers to keep people protected from the cold as much as possible. Donations of sleeping bags and other winter clothing are being accepted and can be dropped off at The Gateway at 107 Jarvis Street in Toronto by calling (416) 368-8710, ext. 222.

Anyone in need of emergency shelter in Toronto can call 311 to request assistance. To support Outreach Services and other critical programs please visit, www.salvationarmy.ca or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.