Dunnville, Ont. – Although there were looming clouds during the early evening of Sept. 7 the show went on. “Sleep in the Park lets people know how others live,” said Tabitha Battenburg, a volunteer at the event’s information booth.
As the evening progressed the crowds increased, raising over $6,500 for the Salvation Army in one night.
Participation raises an interesting question with regards to the affects homelessness has on those who are experiencing hard times and how the discomfort of sleeping in the cold can ripple to other parts of a person’s life.
One Sleep in the Park participant could relate. When she arrived in Dunnville she had no place to go.
In addition participants were given information about the Salvation Army’s Family Services division such as the emergency shelter program, which provides shelter to families and individuals in emergency situations, the rent utility bank which helps pay bills, and the food bank.
Says Merv Hughes, manager of social housing for Haldimand and Norfolk. “People are living in cardboard boxes and are living in basements and are couch surfing and you are changing the face of this community by helping those in need.”