With the goal of raising funds in support of Square One Community Inc.’s plans for a Supportive Housing Hub at William Milne Place, the 2024 Walk for Warmth concluded on the evening of March 14 in what has been described as a short walk that can make a huge difference.
The group’s first step was taken off the front stairs of Zion United Church at 7 p.m. From there, participants walked along Main Street, turned onto High Street East, and walked past St. Aidan Anglican Church where the bells were peeling in a deliberate show of support.
The walkers then met up in the social hall at St. Andrew’s United Church for a follow-up presentation and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate provided by the church’s staff.
At the conclusion of the 2024 Walk for Warmth, $8,072 was raised with additional pledges anticipated to roll in over the next few days and weeks.
“You know, I’m so grateful for every person that showed up when I walked out of Zion (United Church) and looked over the group of people willing to stand together for this supportive housing initiative,” said Della Ferguson, the chairperson for Square One Community Inc.
“And them, bringing in the lovely pledges that they did… will help us move forward.”
The Walk for Warmth is a local initiative with the goal of raising funds in support of those individuals who are unhoused or who face housing insecurity.
This initiative was introduced by Square One Community Inc., which was founded in 2021 from the COVID Community Response Committee and operates with the vision of ensuring access to safe, affordable, and secure housing for everyone in Moose Jaw.
Square One currently has a number of projects underway to help improve Moose Jaw, with a few of them being the creation of city-wide warming and cooling spaces, the provision of hygiene items and winter clothing, and meals for the food insecure.
During her address, Ferguson made a special mention of Bill and Laurette Keen who created a metal campaign tree earlier in support of the organization’s goal of ending housing insecurity. The tree is currently displayed at Dr. Brabant’s clinic near the mall.
“Dr. Brabant is just a profoundly supportive person of those people who are struggling,” Ferguson said.
Since being displayed at Circle Medical Centre, Square One’s campaign tree has had all 167 leaves sold through sponsorships and has raised more than $35,000. This prompted Bill Keen to expand the campaign by adding another metal creation on the wall.
“And so, the Keens said, ‘Well, we can take it higher,’ and so they (made) two ladders to help us rise to higher levels,” said Ferguson.
These ladders are now displayed alongside the campaign tree, and with plenty of room for additional engravings and their affiliated sponsorships, the fundraising effort continues.
“I just wanted to highlight that, and the whole essence of it is that we are stronger together. I thought, 'That’s the message that we want to close with'.
“Thanks to community collaborative efforts, we as a community are stronger because we do this work together,” Fergusson said in her closing statement.
“I just want to end with that thought and the biggest ‘Thank you’ ever.”
For more information on the work done throughout the community by Square One Community Inc., visit SquareOneHousingMooseJaw.com.
