Extreme cold weather and our vulnerable neighbours

Extreme winter weather is putting lives at risk. Neighbours struggling with homelessness are in real danger of exposure, frostbite, and hypothermia.

The Mustard Seed takes every precaution to make sure our vulnerable neighbours are cared for in extreme cold weather conditions. We work with multiple agencies across the cities, to ensure that everyone has a warm, safe place to stay and sleep.

• Guests are allowed to stay indoors during the daytime whenever temperatures are dangerously low and there is a cold weather warning.
• Some of our locations have advocates combing the streets and rough camps ahead of the cold snap in search of people experiencing homelessness to encourage them to use the shelter or find alternatives to get some reprieve from the cold
• We bolster our coffee service so that guests can enjoy more warm beverages as they seek shelter from the cold
• We provide bus tickets to help clients get around safely
• If a guest suffers a health crisis due to the extreme cold, we work with local medical professionals and agencies to get them the care and support they need
• Winter clothing such as warm coats, gloves, hats, warm socks, and boots are a constant and needed donation, along with hand and foot warmer inserts

Cass, a member of our street-level team, recalls one heart-breaking winter when a lady came to our doors needing a pair of gloves, and we gave her a pair of socks instead so she could warm up her hands since we had run out of gloves.