City Street Outreach: a look at what they actually do
Some charities you read about. This one you can watch pull up in a truck. City Street Outreach feeds and clothes some of Toronto’s most vulnerable people — families in cold, under-managed hotel rooms, and the thousands living rough on the street — and it runs almost entirely on volunteers, with virtually no administrative cost. Nearly every dollar goes straight onto the road.
Meet Mary
Mary is one of City Street Outreach’s most dedicated volunteers — and one of its best arguments. Years ago, Mary and her family were recipients of City Street Outreach. Through sheer determination she got her feet back under her, moving herself, her husband and her daughter into an apartment. And ever since, she hasn’t stopped giving back. Today she drives one of the trucks, delivering food, fruit and vegetables to families who need it.
When Mary heard about a group living in freezing, half-renovated hotel rooms — sheets with burn holes, nothing clean, no money to spare because almost every dollar goes to fees — she reached out. A group called Miss B’s Body Blast (thank you, Tammy) answered with a mountain of warm clothing, fresh sheets and towels. And when you are already in panic and stress, having someone show up with the things you need — and can’t afford — means everything.
If you want to know just how tough Mary is, I wrote about the place she used to call home — Mary and the Motel from Hell. Bring a strong stomach.
What’s actually needed
The people City Street Outreach reaches need almost everything. When it rains or snows, their clothes get soaked with no way to dry them. The most useful donations are the practical ones:
- Warm clothing, blankets and sleeping bags
- Clean sheets and towels for families in temporary housing
- $5 Tim Hortons or McDonald’s cards — so someone can get in out of the cold at night without being turned away
Watch: a few minutes with Mary
How you can help
Even five or ten dollars keeps the trucks on the road — and when the temperature drops, the need for warm clothing and sleeping bags climbs fast. There’s no administrative cost; this is purely volunteers, people like Mary who’ve been there and never forgot it.
Make a donation to City Street Outreach →
On behalf of everyone — and Miss B’s Body Blast — thank you.
