Barrie Out of The Cold

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Description

The Barrie Out of the Cold program (BOOTC) aims to provide an alternative to sleeping out in the cold. The program originated in downtown Toronto. In 1986 a homeless man named George died on the street. The knowledge that someone could die of cold on a street in Toronto brought people together to take action. Sister Susan Moran, Father John Murphy, and Rev. Canon John Erb, with the help of St. Michael's High School, made arrangements to provide for a location, food and volunteers for the homeless. A small storefront on St. Clair Ave. was opened on January 15, 1987. From this humble beginning the Out Of The Cold program has spread throughout Toronto and many other cities across Canada. In January 1998 St. Andrew's church in Barrie, Ontario, responded to the same needs and was the first Barrie church to open its' doors to BOOTC. Two other churches, Collier St. United and Central United, soon joined the program. Hi Way Pentecostal joined in 2000 and St. Mary's in 2001. Since 2001 BOOTC has been able to provide shelter seven days a week during the coldest months of the year. During it's season of operation, which runs from mid November to the end of April, BOOTC functions without a central office location. We rely completely on the generosity and hospitality of the five host churches to provide the facilities needed for providing meals and overnight accommodations for our guests.

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