Groups offer 'Essential Boxes' to help unhoused people settle into new homes
With Sunday marking World Homelessness Day, two Montreal initiatives are working together to offer “Essential Boxes” – packages for those without homes including a supply of basics for when they do find a place to live.
The boxes were launched by local charity Bread & Beyond and shelter Old Brewery Mission, which rolled out in the lead up to Sunday.
The boxes are filled with kitchen and bathroom supplies, as well as other items needed in the first few days of moving in.
The Old Brewery Mission works to find living arrangements for those in need of a place to stay, among other services.
“But it’s not enough to hand over a set of keys,” wrote Mission CEO James Hughes in a press release. “Some people need ongoing support from our team to stay housed.”
“We appreciate how difficult it is in the first few days after moving for anyone, let alone a person who is actively rebuilding their life—we wanted to ease that transition as much as possible,” said Bread & Beyond founder Kirstie Jagoe.
The organizations are hoping to expand distribution through local businesses to give out 20 boxes per month to those in need.
-- Watch CTV’s Andrew Brennan’s report above for more details.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.