Sleepless Night in Kitchener

Kitchener - Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre’s (KDCHC) Homelessness Advisory Group, in partnership with the Waterloo Regional Labour Council, will be hosting our 5th Annual Sleepless Night event on Friday, May 1st.

KDCHC began hosting Sleepless Night 5 years ago to raise public awareness about homelessness in Kitchener-Waterloo. The event has grown and now include a fundraising Wake-A-Thon to raise money so KDCHC can give out much needed emergency equipment (sleeping bags and back-packs). There continues to be a need for greater community awareness, increased efforts to address homelessness, and equipment that helps ensure the health and safety of people without housing, at this time of year.

The K-W Out of the Cold (OOTC) Program closes at the end of April. OOTC runs from November to April every year, and provides a meal and overnight shelter to people experiencing homelessness, at a different church every night of the week. OOTC has been providing shelter to people in the coldest months of the year for the past 10 years.

When OOTC closes some people are forced to sleep outside. The health of people on the street is especially at risk, and providing emergency equipment helps ensure their health and safety.

Sleepless Nigh includes:

Free BBQ at 6 p.m. for 200-300 community members
Community and government representatives speaking at 6:30 p.m.
Wake-A-Thon – from 11 p.m to 7 a.m. Approx. 25 people staying awake all night to raise funds for emergency equipment and other practical supports.
Media Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. Friday, May 2 – There will food! Talk to Wake-A-Thon participants about staying awake all night.

New partnership event! This year there is an exciting new ‘partner’ event to Sleepless Night. At Laurelwood Public School grade 7and 8 students will be hosting their own ‘Sleepless Night’ to raise awareness and funds. Laurelwood students will be connecting with Sleeplees Night at City Hall through volunteers from KDCHC who will visit the students on the evening of Friday, May 1st to provide a presentation that educates the students about homelessness and commends their efforts to help raise public awareness and provide practical support.