Kindred Walks in the Coldest Night of the Year

The weather on February 22^nd was around -7 degrees in most of southwestern Ontario. In some places, sidewalks weren’t easy to navigate, with snow and ice remaining from the previous week’s snowstorm. That didn’t stop 59 Kindred teammates from walking together to support the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) - a family-friendly event that takes place across Canada to bring awareness and raise funds for community organizations who are addressing issues of hurt, hunger, and homelessness. The weather only drove home the challenges faced at this time of year by those who don’t have access to safe housing.

Since 2011, CNOY has raised over $89,000,000 across Canada. Through our relationships with community organizations and participation in events like CNOY, Kindred is committed to benefitting our communities through fundraising and awareness of concerning issues like housing and hunger.

Kindred teammates, along with their family and friends, walked together to inspire us all to live our values in visible ways. We had teams walking in or near all eight of our branch locations and the enthusiasm was contagious! Collectively, we raised $14,450 – and those dollars will stay in their respective communities.

There were other success stories too. In Kitchener, Ray of Hope lead the way raising the most funds of any location in Canada at over $243,000. Leamington Community Hope Centre finished in the top 10 locations in Canada, even though they only opened their doors in 2023. In fact, they exceeded their goal by 33%, showing that the community in Leamington deeply values their work in the community.

Additionally, Shelterlink Youth Services in Stratford (where our Milverton teammates walked) also finished in the top 10. A couple of Kindred teammates walked for Hope House in Guelph (another top 10 finisher) and were joined by 103-year-old Orpha Thrasher who has walked in the Coldest Night for the last three years! The good-natured competitiveness only added to the fun atmosphere at the various CNOY locations.

Clearly, the Coldest Night of the Year is an event that resonates with communities across the country, as well as the communities in which Kindred serves. Check out the full results from Coldest Night of the Year 2024 which ran in 207 locations across Canada with 6,457 teams, 38,936 walkers, and raised over $14,000,000+. Coldest Night of the Year 2026 will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 – we hope to see you there!

See the list below to learn more about each of our community partners: