'We're here to save lives': actor Tom Jackson brings clothes to Halifax encampment

Cree actor, musician and activist Tom Jackson visited an encampment in downtown Halifax on Wednesday to donate clothing as winter settles in and hundreds of people are still sleeping in tents around the city.

He believes one person can make a difference in combating this crisis. 

"We're here to save lives," Jackson said. "We need to do things that make us feel human. We have to show children that humanity still exists."

Jackson held his annual Christmas series, Huron Carole, a Canadian touring musical production that raises donations for local foodbanks, at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax late last month.

After years of visiting the city, Jackson said he decided to help the people he loves while he's in town.

"I work a lot with homeless people and one of the things that the homeless need is mostly socks," he said. 

Jackson said he was connected with Bruce Meloney, a store owner in Cape Breton who helped supply the boxes of socks. Meloney said they got the clothes from store suppliers across the country.

"We felt that this would be a good thing to get behind and it would help this situation," Meloney said. "It's even worse than we thought with all the encampments that are there in the Halifax area." 

After securing hundreds of socks, the idea evolved into acquiring other clothing like hats, mitts, scarves and sweaters. 

"Dry feet are an important thing," Meloney said. "If your feet get wet and you're just sitting in socks that are wet it's not good for you."

'This crisis is spiraling out of control'

Matthew Grant, a volunteer at the encampment, has been there every day with his friend Stephen Wilsack since November. He said he wants to make sure people who do not have a home, have something.

"I know I personally saved the lives of at least four people because four people showed up on this property, no place to go, really underdressed," he said. "It's one thing to exist and it's another to live."

Grant said he told Wilsack Tuesday night that there needs to be "some local star power" to help out. The following morning, Grant heard Jackson wanted to support the cause.

"You just manifest things like that, you put a thought out into the universe," Grant said. "I'm not surprised at the support that we've been getting and that we will continue to get because this is an issue that touches everybody."

Jackson said he has been in the province five months out of the year and has noticed a significant change in the city. 

"We have to find a way to accommodate not only these people, but ourselves … for me, this is my oxygen.

"How do you teach a child kindness? You don't," Jackson said. "What do you do? You become kind."