“People don’t realize that these things happen because there’s an utter lack of infrastructure there’s no place to dump household trash and in that 70-city block at that point there were a total of two public bathrooms,” notes Sandra Comstock, a sociologist and advocate for houseless people. She saw a logical alternative to an enhanced services district: Fund a safe space where people could access a hot shower, bathrooms, laundry and basic medical care, as well as dump trash.
To follow through took two years and a complex series of county and city permits, near constant fundraising and COVID-19. By the end of last year, the Hygiene Hub opened beneath the Morrison Bridge with portable toilets and a shower with hot water. This spring, the hub will roll out its clothing and bedding exchange. By late summer, a cadre of nurse volunteers will begin offering a full range of foot and wound care.
Share this article
Share this article
Alberta-based organization CAWST is calling on Albertans to help ensure global access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene
CALGARY, AB, March 15, 2021 /CNW/ - With World Water Day approaching on March 22,
the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) is encouraging Albertans to play an active role in addressing a global challenge – the lack of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene worldwide. This comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness around access to safe water and sanitation as a basic human right.
World Water Day Brings Awareness to Global Water Crisis as COVID-19 Emphasizes Need for Urgent Action. Photo credit: Juozas Cernius. (CNW Group/CAWST)