Water Drive helps city’s unhoused deal with brutal heat of summer
By Lethbridge Herald on June 10, 2025.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Danielle McIntyre, executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank, showcases some of the water recently donated for the fifth annual City Wide Water Drive.Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald
Multiple local organizations are asking for the community’s help over the summer to keep the city’s unhoused population hydrated through the fifth annual City Wide Water Drive.
The goal is to raise 10,000 litres of water.
Danielle McIntyre, executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank, says the drive began during the COVID-19 pandemic when multiple agencies realized that they would have to work together to meet ocal needs.
“For the past five years, every summer we work together to encourage community members to bring in bottled water, or financial gifts to help us buy water, to get it out to those people who can’t get out of the sun,” says McIntyre.
She points out that most of the unhoused population don’t have a place to cool off on hot days, and if they can’t get out of the sun, they should at least be able to stay hydrated.
“The system is simple,” says McIntyre. “Donations come into both of the larger food banks that have the storage space for it, and we have teams of outreach partners that will come and pick up the water as they need it and they are out in the community distributing it.”
Distribution partners include outreach teams from Community Links, Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone, Streets Alive, Sage Clan Patrol, Diversion Outreach Team, Canadian Mental Health Association, MyCityCare and Recovery Alberta.
McIntyre says some of them will go out into the community with a wagon or a truck to be able to offer water directly to those who need it, while also using that as an opportunity to start a conversation and learn more about how they can provide further help/
Since the beginning of the drive last week, organizers have already seen incredible support from the community. McIntyre says Tim Hortons Lethbridge made a significant donation and is now encouraging other businesses to do the same.
“They wanted to do something about it, so they came in with almost 1,000 bottles of water to start our campaign off and they have reached out to business partners and put a challenge out there for nine more businesses to come forward with 1,000 bottles each to help us reach our goal.”
She’s excited to see how many businesses take on the challenge, while also encouraging members of the community to come forward and donate.
“This year, we are pleased to announce that United Way has contributed $7,000 to assist with water purchases,” says McIntyre. “The City of Lethbridge, through its Community Social Development Department and Encampment Response Team, will provide up to $3,000 in additional matching funding for financial and water donations collected from the community through this joint effort.”
The City Wide Water Drive will run until Aug. 31.
15-14
10000 single use plastics that the “ unhoused” thanklessly will dispose of all over during their migration through our fine city.