The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk in Chatham-Kent over the weekend raised $66,405, just shy of an $80,000 goal, but a bit more than the $60,000 raised last year.
The walk was held on Saturday in Chatham and is one of the biggest fundraisers for Neighbourlink Chatham-Kent to help the most vulnerable in the municipality facing hunger and/or homelessness.
Neighbourlink Managing Director Al Baker told CK News Today there's an increase in demand for the services they provide, such as free transportation and food, and the funds raised this year will allow the group to keep helping the most vulnerable in our community.
"The homeless rate in Chatham-Kent has increased 171 per cent since 2019 and we're certainly feeling that here at street level because the encampment issue is huge, it's growing. There are more people living in the bush and under the bridge and that sort of thing. We see it, we see it a lot," said Baker.
Baker said the free transportation service is the busiest and most popular program provided.
"We offer free transportation for people with low income who need to get to medical appointments. We're seeing a stark increase in that. As the population ages, people tend to have more and more health issues. So, we're seeing an increase in that. That's by far the biggest thing we do," Baker noted.
Baker admitted there's some abuse of the system, but Neighbourlink is good at weeding out abusers.
He noted approximately 150 walkers participated this year, about the same number as last year.
NeighbourLink Chatham-Kent is an outreach charity that is supported by local churches and individuals dedicated to helping people in need connect with people who can help.
The non-profit runs several programs throughout the year in Chatham-Kent, including a financial education course and Street Frenz, which distributes sandwiches to the homeless community weekly.