Annual TPS Winter Coat Drive Helps The Homeless

For the past six years, staff at Toronto Police Headquarters Duty Desk have been gathering warm winter clothing for downtown Toronto's homeless as part of their annual Winter Coat Drive.

The 2018 campaign has been a huge success, with several hundred warm coats, hats, and mittens donated by Toronto Police Headquarters officers and civilians, as well as neighbourhood residents.

The donated items were delivered to several locations that support Downtown Toronto's homeless, including Haven Toronto.

The annual clothing drive is organized by Duty Desk staffers P.C. Joanne Tawton and Station Duty Clerk Gary Long, with help from various TPS Headquarters members.

"This has been an extremely cold winter, so any items of clothing really make a huge difference... they can really be the difference between life and death for some of these guys, so it is much appreciated" said Lauro Monteiro, Executive Director of Haven Toronto.

"This has absolutely been the worst year across the city for people that are homeless. This year in shelters, drop-in centres, and warming shelters, we have close to 7000 people on the street... and the weather doesn't help. Can you imagine being in your 60's or 70's and having to sleep outside, in any weather conditions?"