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Coldest Night walk for family homeless awareness takes place Saturday

Coldest Night walk for family homeless awareness takes place Saturday

More than 150 walkers and 25 teams will begin their choice of a two, five or 10-kilometre walk on Saturday night.

The walk, which will pass through Regina's downtown, is part of the Coldest Night of the Year, an awareness campaign for family homelessness.

Family homelessness is referred to as an invisible homelessness, different from the stereotypical image of a homeless man sleeping on a street corner, according to YWCA Regina chief executive Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen.

Coomber-Bendtsen added that family homelessness has a multi-generational impact on families.

"Hidden homelessness implies while women and children may not be seen on the streets, they are staying in violent relationships, are trading sex for shelter, are couch surfing from one place to another or living in overcrowded and unsafe environments," she said last week.

As of yesterday, more than $31,400 has been raised for shelters such as My Aunt's Place, surpassing the goal of $30,000.

The walk also highlights the need for homeless shelter capacity to increase.

In 2016, My Aunt's Place sheltered 358 women and 118 children. Seven hundred and sixty-eight women and 503 children were turned away due to lack of space over the same timeframe.

The walk begins at 5 p.m. CST at the St. Paul's Cathedral Church Hall.