Hope Stoves to warm cold people

It's bloody cold out there these days. And there are far too many people without homes. Yes, some of them stay in shelters for the homeless, but during the daytime, they are forced out to wander the streets looking for warm places to spend their time. Imagine for a moment what that would be like.

There are also a lot of people who refuse to stay in homeless shelters. On Sunday morning when I went down to Inner City Pastoral Ministry, there were a few folks outside the Bissell Centre trying to stay warm under tarps and blankets because they don't feel safe in the shelters even if they are warmer spaces. They were the first to come in when we opened our doors. That they'd rather sleep outside and risk frostbite says a lot about the shelter system. (I've seen some pretty ugly frostbite this winter...)

So a few friends gathered on February 9th to make "Hope Stoves." Basically, they are unused, empty paint cans that have air holes in the top half and are half-filled with wax and five wicks. They are safer than propane burners or other flammable materials, but light those wicks and they warm the can enough that you can boil water on it, and if it gets kicked over, it just goes out.

The idea originated with Mike Hay, a BC Contractor who likes to keep warm while camping, and who wants those living rough to be able to stay warm too. Each stove burns for about 12 hours. They can boil water. And they can carry messages of hope, besides.

Here's Mike and his Hope Stove tutorial (click here, moodlings subscribers), in case you want to offer a simple form of help to any folks who might be living rough in your neighbourhood...