The first sharp snowfall in November was a clear signal that one night outside is hard and a season outside is unthinkable. Yet thousands of young people in our city face exactly that, night after night. On November 20th, I joined Covenant House Toronto’s Sleep Out to support youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking. One cold, restless night for me. Far too many for them.
The sidewalk strips everything back. Cardboard offers very little protection from the cold and the city noise never stops long enough to let you sleep. Lying there, you understand something deeper. The youth who endure this are not just fighting the weather. They are fighting to stay seen, safe and hopeful at an age when their lives should be expanding, not narrowing. This is the moment of truth Covenant House steps into every day, offering safety, stability and the chance to begin again.
I originally aimed to raise $10,000, then $13,000. You all helped me bring that total over $16,000. The 66 participants of the executive sleep out collectively reached over $1.2 million in donations and helped Covenant House exceed its overall target. That is what creative bravery looks like in real life. Empathy turned into action.
I want to thank every supporter by name. You stood with youth who need it most:
Jennifer Fraser, Domenic Gesualdi, Valerie Leach, Thomas Sharp, Proof Strategies, Barbara Howe, Mary Maddever, Nancy Lamanna, Neil Ewen, Shannon Lewis, Carol Lynde, James McIlroy, Sonia Carreno, Eloise Giancola, Ralph Grunier, Robert Jenkyn, Annette O'Gorman, Denise Howe, Janice Leach-Lynch, Matt Olinski, Richard Fofana, Stephen Brown, Kevin MacDonnell, Krystle Mullin, Kurt Rosentreter, Laurissa Stebeleski, Lawrie Graham Davis, Mark Weisbarth, Michael King, Nathaniel Greene, Walter Markham, Bianca Freedman, Carrie Lawson, Cristina Markham, Daniel O'Brien, Janet Patterson, Adrian Kirby, Allanah Howe, Anastasia Tubanos, Andrea Hunt, Anita Gravelle, Anita Kania, Brittany Burek, Cameron Howe, Christina Quelch, Christine Barclay, Connor Leach, Creative Niche, DAC, David Friedman, Diane Cote, Ernest Cappellacci, Gina DaRoza, Helene Bertucci, iFrate, Ingrid Hart, Janice Lawson, Jennifer Bermingham, Jody Hewgill & Balvis Rubess, John Pace, Laura Tucker, Lisa Faktor, Lydia Salvi, Michael Grimes, Norman Odell, Paul Denhartog, Randy Leach, Sabaa Quao, Susan & Gordon Stoneman, Tara Laidley, Tatjana Lalkovic, Tom Eymundson
Anonymous donors: thank you for your quiet courage and generosity.
Impact is not complicated. It is human. It happens when we choose to show up. For one cold night, we did exactly that. Let’s keep choosing it.