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In early November, Toronto experienced an unexpected heavy snowfall, officially announcing the arrival of winter. As daylight hours shortened and night fell earlier, these seasonal changes mirrored the living conditions faced by the homeless in York Region — cold, prolonged, and difficult.
After a brief economic recovery following the pandemic, the economy stagnated again by the end of 2025. Soaring prices, rents, and mortgage interest rates left more people unable to afford basic necessities, consequently forcing them onto the streets. According to York Region’s statistics at the end of 2024, 878 individuals were experiencing homelessness that year, more than double the 329 recorded in 2021, indicating an increasingly severe homeless crisis.
Great Compassion for All Beings, Unwavering Donations
In response to the escalating social challenges, Tzu Chi’s North Toronto office has been collaborating with Newmarket’s “Inn from the Cold” (IFTC) homeless shelter and the “LOFT” outreach van for the homeless since 2014, a partnership now spanning eleven years. Over these years, volunteers have gained a deep understanding of the varying needs of the homeless across the seasons and are keenly aware that inflation and the rising number of homeless individuals continuously increase the budget required for annual material donations.
However, upholding Master Cheng Yen’s teaching of “great loving-kindness to strangers and great compassion for all beings,” and under the leadership of station head Julia Chang, homeless care in North Toronto has never ceased, even during the most difficult periods of the pandemic. Although monthly material procurement expenses steadily rise, considering the practical needs of homeless individuals enduring the elements, the scope of donations has consistently remained generous. Volunteers are simply compelled to work harder in fundraising, solely to provide the most urgent and practical supplies.
In late October this year (2025), the IFTC homeless center sent over its winter supplies request list. Julia Chang, who was still in Taiwan at the time, immediately created a supplies collection poster and distributed it to various groups in early November, hoping to draw public attention. Despite the tight overall economy, she hoped everyone could show their love and bring warmth to the vulnerable in society’s darkest, cold corners.
Awakening Love: Walking Together
Less than two days after Julia Chang returned to Toronto, she immediately launched a supplies collection drive, inviting friends, family, and benevolent people from all walks of life to respond. Canada has a tradition of caring for the vulnerable before Christmas. It was moving to see that many kind-hearted individuals, even those who had been laid off or retired, still diligently searched their homes for items to donate, or even paid out of their own pockets to purchase items on the list.
Regardless of quantity, each donation represented sincere love, and Julia Chang accepted them all with reverence. Over the years, many generous donors have never missed a year, and some have even made direct financial contributions.
This time, special gratitude also goes to volunteer Bo-xiong Zhuang , who has a deep connection with Tzu Chi. He partnered with Tzu Chi under his company’s name to collect supplies and produced posters which he widely distributed to major media outlets, hoping to call on more people to join the ranks of helpers.
Compassion also requires wisdom. Leveraging years of purchasing experience, the volunteer team knew which items were less frequently donated. They took advantage of the U.S. Thanksgiving discount period to precisely purchase discounted items from the needs list. All funds came from public donations, so every penny was meticulously accounted for during procurement, solely to acquire the maximum number of most practical supplies within the limited budget.
At the same time, we are grateful to the teachers, parents, and students of the Tzu Chi Academy, North Toronto for their enthusiastic participation in the collection drive. Supplies collection concluded on December 7. With everyone’s support, a large quantity of materials piled up at the center. The station head then immediately gathered volunteers to begin packing on December 13.
Braving Snow to Deliver Warmth, Full of Happiness
On the morning of December 13, with snow still on the ground, nine volunteers braved the snow to arrive at the North Toronto office and rolled up their sleeves to begin packing. Unpacking, sorting, and repacking – each step was carried out with empathy, “putting oneself in others’ shoes.”
Food items were individually checked for expiry dates, and clothing quality was carefully verified. In addition to attaching the Tzu Chi logo to each box, the station head also prepared clear inventory lists on the outside of the boxes, making it easier for recipient organizations to quickly find what they needed. These details demonstrated Tzu Chi’s gratitude, respect, and love in every aspect.
After nearly three hours of concerted effort, with “women working like men and men like superheroes,” four vehicles were finally mobilized to load forty boxes of winter supplies, including ten boxes for the LOFT outreach van to use in December.
The day before the distribution, the temperature briefly warmed to 7 degrees Celsius, bringing a slight sense of relief. However, on December 19, the temperature plummeted to minus 6 degrees, accompanied by sleet and strong winds, making the wind chill feel close to minus 15 degrees. Distributing supplies in such severe cold allowed volunteers to experience even more deeply the hardships faced by the homeless sleeping on the streets. Even while moving over fifty boxes of supplies, everyone did so willingly and gladly.
At 1 PM, volunteers first arrived at the LOFT outreach van, unloading over ten boxes of supplies. One key item was eco-friendly blankets, made from recycled PET bottles in Taiwan. Every winter, when much of Greater Toronto is covered in snow, these eco-friendly blankets have become the most beloved and practical warming items for the homeless.
Volunteers then hurried to the IFTC homeless shelter. Although the center only provides twenty-five short- to mid-term beds, it also operates other shelter sites and opens its doors at designated times during winter so people can come in to warm up. This donation, a convergence of various acts of kindness, delivered over thirty boxes of supplies.
The new Executive Director, Ms. Denise Marinelli, specifically expressed her sincere gratitude to the Tzu Chi volunteers. Due to the large volume of supplies, it took a long time for the four volunteer vehicles to shuttle back and forth unloading before everything was moved into the center’s warehouse.
Tzu Chi’s care extends beyond material donations. At 12 PM that day, volunteers from North Toronto’s culinary team entered the center’s kitchen to cook hot meals for approximately 90 to 100 people. Under Tzu Chi’s streamlined cooperation, once the meals were ready, another group of volunteers took over the packing. At 4:30 PM, they distributed the meals to the homeless alongside the center’s staff.
As Christmas approached, sparkling lights adorned the center, yet they were not enough to truly warm the bodies and minds of the homeless. When distribution time arrived, many homeless individuals were already queuing outside in the cold wind. David, a senior volunteer at the center, greeted each homeless person one by one, knowing everyone who came to receive supplies by heart and respecting their choices rather than arbitrarily handing out items. This respect and care for individuals perfectly aligns with Tzu Chi’s philosophy.
After the distribution ended, as the vehicles drove through the dark winter night, hearts were filled with emotion. “Witnessing suffering helps one appreciate their own blessings” — having just served in the cold wind, now sitting in a warm car, they felt incredibly fortunate. It turned out happiness could be so simple.
Tzu Chi has been deeply involved with the Newmarket homeless center for eleven years. IFTC has gone through three executive directors, yet all have consistently and profoundly affirmed Tzu Chi. They are invited to Tzu Chi’s Year-end Blessing Ceremony every year and express their heartfelt gratitude, because Tzu Chi always listens first to understands the true needs before preparing supplies.
On the eve of Christmas, in freezing weather, Tzu Chi volunteers came treading on snow to send a warm embrace of love to the homeless, lighting an inextinguishable lamp of hope for this cold winter.