Toque Talk

Food. Shelter. Safety. Tonight 35,000 families can only pick one, and one in seven Canadians visiting a homeless shelter is a child. Until the end of March, join Raising the Roof for Toque Tuesday in support of finding long-term solutions to homelessness. We spoke with Marc Soberano, executive director of Building Up. Marc is able to speak about the campaign and the difference your support makes. —Vita Daily

Hi Marc! Tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Hi! I’m your run-of-the-mill bearded 30-year-old looking to put my time and energy into something meaningful. I believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to thrive, and that some of us are born into circumstances that makes that more challenging than others. I want to help level that playing field, and giving people place to call home feels like a great place to start. My hope is that all Canadians will soon have that basic human right.

What is Toque Tuesday? How many years running, and anything new this time around?

Toque Tuesday is a 23-year-old campaign where passionate people across Canada collectively decide to harness the magical power of the toque for something meaningful. We have hundreds of volunteers across Canada selling toques to raise money to end homelessness once and for all. This year’s campaign is built around the theme of dreams. We all have dreams—some to be princes, some to be NBA stars, some to live in the woods. All of our dreams are different, but nobody dreams of being homeless. This year, we are rallying together to help people reach their dreams, and that can’t be done if you dont have somewhere warm and nurturing to sleep.

Why is this initiative so important, particularly in 2020?

Because this is an opportunity for all of us to play a part in letting people reach their dreams. Buying a toque is a way of telling the world you care, and showing the people around you that they should to. We live in a wonderful country, but the reality is that there are homes empty scattered across our land, meanwhile, there are people sleeping on the streets. This year we are focusing all our energy on connecting vacant homes to our brothers and sisters that are looking for a place to sleep. Why wouldn’t we all get involved in something like that?

How can we all help/contribute/participate?

Buy a toque! Wear your toque! Be proud of your toque! Tell your friends to buy a toque! Tell everyone in your office to buy a toque! Tell you dog to buy a toque! Its toque season, so put one on and be a part of the solution.

How will you be styling/rocking your toque?!

I will rock my toque proudly, and probably accidentally slanted. Style isnt my forte and I tend to wear the wrong outfit more often than not, but this toque finally gives me a chance to wear the right thing at the right time!

raisingtheroof.org