When the Downtown Mission's director of development said she hoped to raise $70,000 through this year's Coldest Night of the Year event, executive director Ron Dunn admitted he had his doubts.
Not only was this year's fundraiser the mission's biggest held during a pandemic, but it was also their first online event.
"I was optimistic," said Dunn. "I said, I don't know -- that's a lot of money during a pandemic and online. So, we crushed that. We blew way past it."
Saturday's event raised $92,000.
The Coldest Night of the Year is the mission's signature fundraising event and typically raises over $60,000, money that goes towards programming and services for some of the city's most vulnerable residents.
"Wherever it's needed the most," Dunn said. "Right now, we are doing well with food donations. We're good there."
This year's funding will go towards general expenses like repairs and maintenance, counselling sessions, and other costs.
This year, participants were encouraged to self-organize, stay within their social bubble, and map out their own 2 to 5 km route. A total of 31 teams took part or about 200 individual walkers.
"Windsor-Essex has always been hypersensitive and aware. In a time when it's so prevalent, and there are just more people experiencing homelessness, poverty in general, hunger -- I think that this pandemic has really shone a light on all of those things," Dunn added.
Meanwhile, an outbreak of COVID-19 continues to challenge staff at the Downtown Mission. Dunn told BlackburnNews.com Monday morning there were 68 staff and guests with the virus at the agency.
"Some of them [workers] are starting to come back this week," he said. "They've gone through their 14-day period, and the health unit has released them to come back to work."
The former Central Branch of the Windsor Public Library. Apr 12, 2019. (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Occupancy at the mission's temporary emergency shelter at the former Central Library Branch on Ouellette Avenue has ranged from 70 to 75 each night.
Staff from Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, the Erie St. Clair LHIN, and the City of Windsor helped fill out those staff positions during the crunch when many of the regular staff were self-isolating.