Windsor's homeless 'are desperate right now,' charity says

An organization that helps the homeless in Windsor is running low on winter supplies just as temperatures are set to plummet.

Street Help Homeless Centre of Windsor, formerly known as Street Help/Unit 7, says it is short 150 sleeping bags and has no boots available for those in need.

"It looks like I have a lot of sleeping bags. We do have a good number," Christine Wilson-Furlonger said of the 200 sleeping bags on a shelf. "I really am not going to get through the season unless I have 350."

Wilson-Furlonger said she normally sees 120 people a day, but since the temperatures starting falling, the number is up to 160.

"There are so many new faces, people I have never seen before. It’s shocking to see that problem grow," she said. "People are desperate right now. We don’t even leave our pets outside so why do we leave a human out there. Sadly though, there are people out there that are homeless."

Paul Kiyoshk is one of them.

"No clothes. No hope. I’m pretty much down and out," Kiyoshk said. "But the people here gave me all the clothes I’m wearing. I’m more than grateful."

To give thanks, he's now volunteering at the organization.

The temperature in Windsor isn’t expected to rise above freezing all week. An overnight low of -13 C is expected Friday into Saturday.

The organization was forced to turn away two people looking for boots Monday morning.

"Right now we’re desperately in need of winter boots," Wilson-Furlonger said. "I really hope people will hear this and start bringing boots to us."