Media Alert - GTA Water Crises: Death by Dehydration

TORONTO, July 7, 2014 /CNW/ - It doesn't take a summer heat alert to lead a call to action against the threat of death by dehydration among the GTA and surrounding area homeless and those at risk of being homeless. Instead, it takes a simple act of compassion by community-minded sponsors Nestlé Waters Canada; Canada Cartage; the Bargains Group; Home Depot; Toronto Police Service 13 Division; Master of Ceremonies, Joe Bowan; and the over 100 volunteers of the 15^th Annual Project Water, an Engage and Change initiative to provide bottled water to those in need.

On Wednesday, July 9^th, 2014, care of The Bargains Group, 890 Caledonia Road, 12pm, over 170 social service agencies, outreach providers and homeless shelters will receive in excess of 300,000 Nestlé water bottles and 3,000 summer survival kits in an effort to arm front-line relief organizations with life saving resources to reach out to the homeless in extreme summer weather conditions.

FACT: more homeless people die from dehydration in the summer months than freeze to death from exposure in the winter

"Water is an invaluable life source to those most vulnerable all year round," said Jody Steinhauer, founder of Project Water. "However, lack of clean drinking water among those less fortunate takes precedent in the warmer months when the risk of death ratio by dehydration increases significantly due to excessive heat and humidity. We are grateful to our community partners in leading the charge in this ongoing endeavor to help save the lives of those living on our streets and in shelters."

Project Water is an Engage and Change program committed to helping those less fortunate endure the hardships of summer by providing such necessities for the needy as: bottled water, a re-usable water bottle, sunscreen, hat, toiletry and first aid items, etc. Since its inception in 1999, Project Water has placed in excess of 1.8 million bottles of water into the hands of Toronto and surrounding area homeless. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.projectwater.ca or www.engageandchange.org.

 

PHOTO-OP: 12 pm - approximately 100 volunteers will load cases of bottled water and survival kits onto agency vehicles
TBD - outreach distribution of summer survival kits and bottled water

SOURCE: Project Water

MEDIA CONTACT: Francisca Gambino, francis G communications, 416-432-4599 or [email protected]