Social planning council raising funds as 'last resort' for Sudbury's needy

The Social Planning Council of Sudbury is looking for donations to its emergency fund.

The fund, which has been in place for 20 years, is the last resort for many people who are at risk of going hungry or losing their homes.

And this time of year is more difficult than usual for people living on social assistance, due to the high cost of hydro and gas, said council executive director Joseph Leblanc.

"We know that those funds are not geared towards the cost of living and that there is a shortfall," Leblanc said, "this does put a number of families in our city into an emergency situation and this is the fund that they can access."

The council often receives requests to purchase medicine, and recently they were asked to buy a bed for a senior who Leblanc said was sleeping on his floor.

The council normally receives 5 or 6 applications for assistance a week, and that increases this time of year.

They've set up a GoFundMe page where people can made a donation, and Leblanc said he hopes they can raise $10,000.

Agencies like Red Cross, homeless shelters or schools can apply for the fund on the person's behalf.