Backpacks of Love campaign tackles homelessness in North Bay

The Compassionate Committee for the Homeless in North Bay is working to help equip and provide for the less fortunate in the Gateway City.

For the past month, the group made up of 17people from different churches has been collecting donations for its Backpacks of Love campaign.

Rebecca Reisen, lead coordinator for the committee, says inside each backpack are items for immediate needs, including tarps, socks, flashlights, hygiene products and rain ponchos.

They're put together with items donated from the community.

"We've had some families that have gone out and actually put together a backpack for us, which was great," Reisen said. "But a lot of people, they'll go out and they'll buy abunch of socks and donate a bunch of socks, which is great, too."

"We actually have all the backpacks that we need now thanks to [sports retailer] Sport Check and [grocery store] Freshco and a bunch of individuals," she said. "We really just need the filler."

The group also maintains a Facebook page where they have an updated list of items needed for the next round of deliveries.

Reisen dropped off about ten backpacks to individuals living in tent city in North Bay, before the encampment was dismantled.

"I remember the one lady, she looked at it and said 'wow, that's a nice backpack,'' Reisen said.

"I mean, they're not used to getting nice things...they usually just get people's leftovers. So that touched my heart that there was a thankfulness there, there was excitement there."

The goal was to collect 200 filled backpacks, and Reisen said they're more than halfway there.

Reisen says once the summer backpacks are handed out they'll work on backpacks filled with winter items.

"That's sort of our short-term [goal]...you know, as long as there's homeless we're going to be doing that," she said.

"Long-term we are planning on making sure that affordable housing is on the dockets for the next elections," she added, "basically in any way we can, assisting those organizations who are front-line with the homeless."

Another 45 backpacks were provided to the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, to hand out to some of its clients.