Nov. 1, 2022

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Special Constable Service (SCS) is seeking donated items to include in its annual Cold Weather Kit initiative.  

The kits are care packs that are distributed to community members experiencing homelessness. This year, due to increased need in Laurier’s campus communities, kits will be distributed at locations throughout Kitchener, Waterloo and Brantford by SCS in partnership with St. Leonard’s Community Services and the Salvation Army. Kits and ad hoc items will be distributed in early December and throughout the winter months. 

Laurier community members can support the Cold Weather Kit initiative by donating the following items throughout November: 

• socks  
• warm hats  
• gloves 
• rain ponchos 
• lotion  
• heat packs  
• protein bars or snack bars  
• flashlights  
• lip balm  
• hygiene items (such as soap, deodorant, menstrual care products, etc.) 
• tissues  
• dental products (such as toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste)  
• gift cards (such as Tim Hortons, Dollarama or Dollar Tree) 
• small blankets or emergency blankets  

At the Brantford and Waterloo campuses, items can be dropped off at: 

• Special Constable Service: 232 King Street, Waterloo; 45 Market St., Brantford 
• Facilities and Asset Management: 81 Lodge St., Waterloo: SC Johnson Building, Brantford  
• Student Wellness Centres: Student Services Building, second floor, Waterloo; Student Centre, second floor, Brantford 
• Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work: 120 Duke St. W., Kitchener  

To arrange a pick-up of donations collected in-office, email the Special Constable Service at dispatch@wlu.ca. 

In 2020, the generosity of the Laurier community allowed the SCS and the Student Wellness Centre to distribute dozens of kits throughout Brantford.  

“Many in our campus communities are experiencing homelessness, an issue that becomes graver as the cold weather approaches,” says Darrell Dick, acting sergeant with Laurier’s SCS. “With support from the Laurier community, we can provide some basic necessities to those most in need in our campus communities.”