Homeless advocate to brave cold across Ontario

Cambridge's Paul Tavares is not afraid of the cold. 

For the second time in three years, Tavares will brave the winter for 90 days and nights while living in an unheated tent. 

In the winter of 2017, Tavares camped out for 90 days in the Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot in Cambridge across from the Bridges shelter. 

This time, he will spend 90 days in 13 cities across Ontario starting in Thunder Bay on January 6.

Tavares set out to raise $10,000 for his first challenge, this time he is hoping to raise $150,000 over the 90 days. 

The mission is raise money and breakdown the stigma that plagues people experiencing homelessness. 

According to Tavares, there is a lack in understanding and compassion for people living rough, and he wants to help bridge that gap, 

“People fear the unknown and when they have a lack of knowledge they lash out with fear and anger and judgement and that's what's happening, so I need to quietly be that voice of reason.” said Tavares. 

Tavares experienced homelessness himself over the last decade and now has made it his life's work to advocate for his “brothers and sisters”. 

He says we need to stop thinking of this issue as an “us and them” relationship, 

“When people us terminology like 'them' and 'they', I have to pause and remind them that when you are speaking of 'them' they are speaking of me, I am one of them, I was homeless.”

Tavares plans to wrap up his journey in Cambridge in April.

For more information or if you would like to donate you can go to 90daysandnights.com.