CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - A Heartland homeless shelter is offering the chance to walk in someone else’s shoes.
The Carbondale Warming Center will host “Coldest Night of the Year” for the second time on Saturday, February 24 at the Carbondale Community High School.
This fundraising campaign takes place throughout Canada and the U.S. on the date of the average coldest night of the year throughout these regions.
Participants will be fundraising for the shelter, which has been providing 24/7 assistance to people in need during recent extreme freezing temperatures, according to the City of Carbondale.
The warming center’s executive director, Carmalita Cahill, said the need is only growing in the area.
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“We see a lot more people that are unable to navigate on their own, and require a lot of help with even the basic things like housing.”
Cahill cited the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the economy and insurance, and the ongoing mental health epidemic.
When the Heartland experienced days of below-zero temperatures earlier this winter, the Carbondale Warming Center opened up the overflow to bring 35 people in from the cold.
“Without the help of the community around them, it would not have been a very happy time.”
To help the shelter continue to reach people in their greatest time of need, Cahill encouraged anyone interested to participate in the upcoming fundraiser.
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“At the same time, on the same day, we’ll all be doing and walking for the same reasons.”
At 4 p.m. that day, all registered teams will come together for a 3-5k walk, followed by a celebratory party with food and fun.
It’s an event that several people are inspired to repeat.
“I think that, for some, it was kind of like a spiritual journey, because you take that moment to just be someplace else,” Cahill said. “We’ve had a lot of people come back from last year to want to do it again this year.”
To form a team, join a team or donate, visit https://cnoy.com/location/carbondale.
For more information, contact the City of Carbondale’s Public Relations Officer at 618-457-3262.
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