LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -- In the minds of many Lethbridge residents the return of warmer weather is a reprieve for the city's homeless but the final weeks of winter offer new challenges for the at-risk group.
Emergency food banks like the Streets Alive Mission are seeing their food storage become critically low.
"We are looking for pasta items," said Pieter Van Weijk, director of Streets Alive Mission. "We are looking for breakfast cereals. We are looking for things that are easy to prepare, (specifically) canned food and soup in particular."
People living on the street are also feeling the toll.
"Don't stop caring about the people on the street," cried Stuart McLeod, who has been living on the street for six months. "Reach out and help us."
Although Lethbridge has always been generous with donations, residents tend to forget the spring months are also arduous for the city’s homeless.
"Now we are at the end of the winter and sometimes people move on to different priorities, which we understand, but the need is still there," explained Van Weijk. "Winter is not over just yet".
It is estimated more than 220 people are living on the streets of Lethbridge. For people like McLeod, food banks and shelters do not only serve as a means to fulfill their basic needs, but also a place where they feel they matter.
"You are not alone," he explained. "There are people that care. It's still tough though."
McLeod says the hardest part of living on the street is the loneliness. While receiving food and coats is critical, a small conversation can go a long way.
Anyone who wishes to donate can do so by directly going to their local food bank during regular hours.
