Guelph Public Library received a grant in January from Project Winter Survival for 20 winter survival kits, which were distributed by the Health Outreach Mobile Engagement (HOME) team to people experiencing homelessness in the Guelph community ahead of the coldest night of the year on February 28.
The Winter Survival Kits come with 30 items including a sleeping bag, hat, gloves, scarf, hand warmers, snacks, reuseable water bottle, socks, hygiene products, lip balm, Kleenex, playing cards, activity books, fidgets, pen, bandages, cleaning cloths, and hand sanitizer.
The Library applied for the grant in December and received the kits mid-January, sharing them with the HOME team, who operate an outreach vehicle with mobile health supports for people experiencing homelessness or housing vulnerability. The team was able to give out the kits on an as needed-basis to people experiencing homeless that need additional support this winter.
“As we approach the coldest day of year, we know just how valuable it is for people experiencing homelessness to have access to these kits that can help them keep warm,” says Samantha Wellhauser-Bells, Supervisor of the Main Library. “We’re proud to be a warming centre during open hours, but we know after our day is done, some of our community’s most vulnerable people don’t have what they need to stay warm. Partnerships like these help us extend that warmth beyond our facilities.”
“We’re grateful to partner with the Guelph Public Library in getting these Winter Survival Kits into the hands of people who need them most, says Melissa Kwiatkowski, CEO of the Guelph Community Health Centre (CHC). “Our HOME team meets community members where they are, and resources like these provide immediate, practical support to help people stay safer in the cold. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to caring for our community with dignity and compassion.”
About the Health Outreach Mobile Engagement (HOME) Team
As a part of the Guelph Community Health Centre, the Guelph Health Outreach Mobile Engagement (HOME) team meet people where they are to provide mobile support, harm reduction supplies, access to basic needs, and resource navigation to people in Guelph-Wellington who are struggling with substance use and experiencing homelessness or precariously housed.
About Project Winter Survival
Since 1999, Project Winter Survival has worked with volunteers and donors to assemble and distribute close to 45,000 Winter Survival Kits that provide essential supply for people who are experiencing homelessness. Organizations wishing to apply for kits must apply before the intake closes each year in December.
Media contact
Samantha Wellhauser-Bells, Supervisor of the Main Library
Guelph Public Library
548-855-0414
swellhauserbells@guelphpl.ca