United Way Halton and Hamilton has welcomed the local community to take part in their Sleepless For Our Community event for the first time ever to show support and raise awareness and funds about issues surrounding poverty.
The event, which will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, asks participants to sleep in their cars overnight from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. to experience the isolation that many people across Halton and Hamilton deal with during a time of housing insecurity.
“It not only raises critical funds, but it gives a glimpse into the sort of isolation and challenges many in our community are facing,” said Kristen Jacobs, vice president of United Way Halton and Hamilton. “It’s an act of solidarity, and we’re asking participants to really help drive the conversation around poverty in our local community and raising funds for programs that directly support those in need.”
The charity is hoping to raise $300,000 through the intiative, which will go towards more than 75 programs across the region that support people struggling with housing and food insecurity.
Each participant is encouraged to try to raise $1,000 for the fundraiser, with every dollar going a little bit further than usual.
“We are incredibly excited,” Jacobs said. “We have a two-time match opportunity with this event. All funds raised as part of United Way’s 2024 and 2025 campaign benefit from our Local love Community Match, every four dollars raised gets an additional dollar added to that by our match program. For this particular event, we also have a philanthropic family who has offered to match up to a certain amount with us for the event.”
The family has chosen to remain anonymous, but has committed to matching up to $150,000 in donations for the Sleepless For Our Community fundraiser.
Jacobs spoke on why the event is being opened for members of the community to take part in this year, and encouraged anyone who wants to take part to familiarize themselves with the event toolkit and safety checklist.
“The conversation around poverty is something that requires full community involvement,” she said. “We want people to understand the different needs of the community, and we feel like it’s a great way to get people involved at a time of year that can be very, very difficult for so many people living and experiencing poverty.”
The number of renters accessing food banks in Ontario has increased by 80 per cent since 2020, and the number of households experiencing some form of homelessness has increased by 109 per cent in the same time frame.
With the Sleepless For Our Community event set to be the final event of United Way Halton and Hamilton’s 2024 and 2025 campaign, Jacobs hopes to see the community turn out to show their support for the less fortunate in Halton.
“We’re so grateful for the support,” she said. “The Sleepless For Our Community event will be the final event of our campaign, so we encourage folks to join us and get involved. We’re really excited to see the community rally around this event and raise some critical funds to help eliminate poverty in our local community.”
The event takes place on Friday, Feb. 21, and registration for the Sleepless For Our Community night closes on Friday, Feb. 14.
Related story: “Our community has stepped up,” United Way helps support more than 220 families across Halton
