Women are trading sex for a warm coat or for a place to shelter for the night against freezing temperatures.
It is not just a big-city human injustice, it鈥檚 happening here according to executive director Debbie Scarborough of the South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS).
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the reality (women providing sex for help),鈥� said Scarborough about what is already happening during the recent cold snap. 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to be able to hand these individuals coats and they don鈥檛 have to give the only precious commodity they have.鈥�
Below zero temperatures lately have almost completely depleted the society鈥檚 resources of weatherproof coats, boots, scarves and sadly mats, tarps and sleeping bags for those who have no home.
鈥淲e have women who are living in their cars and many more who are homeless and they need these things just to survive,鈥� said Scarborough. 鈥淲e take our mobile outreach van out on Thursdays and Saturdays and they know where to look for us to get the things they need.
鈥淲e try our best to support them, not only through safety plans (including harm reduction kits), but staying warm as well.鈥�
She estimated support crews are working with nearly 40 people on a daily basis and double that through the use of the van which started as a pilot project two years ago.
鈥淲hen they approach the van, they tell us what they need, there鈥檚 no judgement, there鈥檚 no shame,鈥� said Scarborough. 鈥淲ith the homeless demographic, the numbers have definitely increased. It鈥檚 harder to get housing as well, here. What is affordable, isn鈥檛 safe. That鈥檚 a reality.鈥�
There are also many people that the SOWINS workers help who are addicted to drugs. That鈥檚 why they are so intent on providing the kits which contain items such as syringes, pipes, and screens, as well as male and female condoms.
Unfortunately, she still runs into people who believe that by providing drug-use items, it encourages people to use.
鈥淔act is, if I鈥檓 using I鈥檓 going to use regardless. I鈥檓 around all this stuff and it doesn鈥檛 encourage me to use,鈥� said Scarborough. 鈥淭he only people utilizing our services are the people who are already using, so it鈥檚 making it safer.
鈥淓very one of those people have a family, they鈥檙e someone鈥檚 son, someone鈥檚 daughter or granddaughter, mother, father. There鈥檚 someone who loves them out there, somewhere.鈥�
She added that by gaining the trust of the people on the street, workers are better able to steer them in the direction of where to get help when they are ready.
The items needed can be gently used (socks need to be new), but should be clean.
Anyone wishing to donate can call (250) 493-4366 for more information. Donations can be dropped off at the outreach office at 102-1027 Westminster Ave. W.
