How IH’s grants make a difference during extreme weather events

Since 2023, the H&H Program has facilitated three extreme weather grant cycles, providing essential support during both frigid winters and sweltering summers. 

In 2024, the H&H Program distributed $267,000 in Extreme Cold Weather Grants across 26 communities. Grants of up to $5,000 each helped local organizations provide critical support, including warm clothing, hot meals, outreach, and safe places to rest.

Communities large and small benefitted from the 2024 grants, including 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Cranbrook, Creston, Fernie, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Kamloops, Kelowna, Lillooet, Merritt, Nelson, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, Princeton, Revelstoke, Rossland, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Summerland, Trail, Vernon, West Kelowna, Westbank and Williams Lake.

All the extra steps taken through the grant boosted the support that the communities most vulnerable residents needed—and the impact has been nothing short of heartwarming.

With the support of the Extreme Cold Weather Grants, community groups have been able to extend a hand to hundreds of people across the region. Each community tailors its efforts to local needs. In some towns, that means handing out winter boots and blankets. In others, it means wellness checks or offering a hot meal or a warm space to rest.

"Homelessness looks different in our small rural community," says one partner. "There are few if any people visibly living in tents; however, there are many people living in RVs, campers and vehicles."

In many areas, simple acts of kindness became lifelines. "With people not being able to access any other resources in the community, this was truly a light in so many people's lives," shares a service provider.

Partnerships have played a key role in the success of these efforts. In 2024, more than 30 local non-profit organizations worked closely with volunteers, Indigenous partners, churches, social services, businesses and municipalities to distribute supplies and create safe spaces.

From health and social service partners such as Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, to community and safety partnerships like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), to non-profit organizations, their teamwork proved that strong partnerships build stronger, more resilient communities.

The Health and Housing Program’s philosophy is simple: housing is health. "It takes a village to support our unhoused and precariously housed citizens," said one partner. "Otherwise, they are lost and alone."

Thanks to the Extreme Cold Weather Grant initiative, hundreds of unhoused and at-risk individuals receive direct benefits. Communities across the Interior proved that a little warmth—and a lot of heart—can change lives, even in the coldest season.

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