New Westminster firefighters are doing their part to help folks who are homeless.
With colder temperatures on the way, New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services is once again working with Warming the Homeless to hand out warming kits to people in the city who are experiencing homelessness. The kits include gloves, toques, teabags, hot cocoa packs, ponchos, winter socks, and hand warmers.
When Warming the Homeless was first established, many of the kits’ components were solely funded by its founders, Randy Wong and Sahar Manochehri.
“This is an incredible grassroots initiative we are grateful to be working with,” Assistant Fire Chief Isabella Li said in a news release. “Between collecting the items to go into the kits, and the time they spend assembling them and sharing them, we wanted to highlight the care and compassion Randy and Sahar bring to this community.”
Wong and Manochehri recently delivered 25 men’s kits and 15 women’s kits to the fire department for distribution in New West. It marks the second time New Westminster fire crews have received kits through the Warming the Homeless initiative.
“This is a small but meaningful example of a community working together to help one another,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone. “We are proud to know Randy and Sahar, and to collaborate with them to provide some comfort to vulnerable folks while we find long-term solutions to this ongoing crisis.”
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Wong and Manochehri forming Warming the Homeless.
“We want to let people know that homelessness does not discriminate, and neither do we,” Wong said in a news release. “We hope those who receive these kits know they have neighbours in us. We’re here to do what we can to help.”
The warming kits will be stocked on New Westminster fire trucks and other will be shared with the Crises Response Team, part of the City of New Westminster’s Crises Response pilot project.
According to the news release, Wong and Manochehri are working towards registering as a non-profit charity, but they are accepting donations through their website, WarmingtheHomeless.com
