Project Water
A program we ran in response to the inexcusable fact that more homeless people die from dehydration in the summer than from exposure in the winter.
Why we ran it
Safe, clean drinking water is not a luxury, but the human body's most fundamental need. Many people experiencing homelessness across the GTA lacked reliable access to it, especially in the hot summer months when a bottle of water can save a life.
Founded in 1999 by Jody Steinhauer, Project Water addressed that critical gap directly, getting water and essential supplies into the hands of people who needed them through front-line agencies.
What it included
Over the years, Project Water distributed survival and water kits containing clean drinking water alongside essential personal protective equipment such as face masks and hand sanitizer, handed out through partner agencies serving people on the street.
Final program total
water bottles distributed to people in desperate need across the GTA over the life of the program.
Where the program stands today
Project Water has wound down. Engage and Change now concentrates its efforts on Project Winter Survival, our annual winter kit drive, so that volunteer energy and donor dollars go as far as possible for people facing the most dangerous season on the street.
Photos from past Project Water events are preserved in our gallery under the Project Water archive set.