Huts for the homeless: New initiative aimed at providing shelter in Sydney
From his pizza shop location in the heart of Sydney's downtown, Justin Ayre has seen what it's like for people in the city who are experiencing homelessness.
“Oh, it's everywhere on Charlotte Street. It's a shame, you know”, he said.
During some of the coldest winter weather in recent weeks, Ayre has been in talks with advocates for the homeless about what can be done to help.
They have come up with an initiative called Huts for the Homeless. The focus is mainly on providing and improving shelter for people in the Sydney area.
"They're hanging out in alleys, sleeping at banks and now, I guess the banks are locking up their doors. They have nowhere to go, right,” Ayre said.
"There have been people from the CBRM who actually have been sleeping in the woods. Some have tents, some don't,” said Lisa Lannon, a longtime advocate for the homeless.
Lannon has been involved in helping the homeless ever since her dad bought a restaurant meal for a woman who had nothing to eat, back when she was five years old.
Now, she has teamed up with the group at the pizza shop. They have received their first sleeping bag, and some tents with several bags of clothes.
"We're looking for flashlights and batteries,” Lannon said. “We're looking for toiletries, any kind of light that wouldn't be something that would catch fire. Nothing kerosene. Some socks and some underwear for male and female."
Ayre said all four Alexandra's Pizza locations in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality will be drop-off spots for clothing and camping gear.
They're giving the items to people by partnering with the local homeless shelter, and Loaves and Fishes community kitchen.
"They can drop in at any time,” Ayre said. “We have a lot of space upstairs. We can hold on to the stuff, until we can get it out to the people who need it."
The big push will take place during a fundraising event at the pizza shop next weekend. Until then, organizers are urging people to drop by with whatever they can give.
"Please come. Take a truck. Fill the back of your truck. They need it,” Lannon said. “Just because you don't see them every day doesn't mean they're not here."
The afternoon fundraiser at the Alexandra’s location in Sydney will take place on Saturday, March 25 from 12 p.m until 6 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.