Toronto charity holds event providing free dental care, haircuts to unhoused people

Last night I stayed here overnight just to get in. It was worth it. It was definitely worth it. Gordon Barrett traveled from Oshawa to downtown Toronto for this year's Homeless Connect event at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. 68 service agencies and health care providers are here under one roof to provide services like hair cutting, dental cleanings, massage, foot care and more. Hundreds lined up around the block to get services that could otherwise take days or weeks to access. Just to get this kind of service is like $1,500. Barrett says he's taking full advantage of the day. Pretty much I've gotten to everything except the massage. I've never had a massage. Organizers say last year they had over 1,000 participants, and this year they say the number looks to have grown. We know that this year has been really tough on people economically. This morning when we started, the line was so long down the street already, which is more people in line at that time than we've had in previous years. According to city data, over 12,000 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2025. Since it began, Homeless Connect has provided services to over 11,000 people and provided nearly 50,000 direct services. We know the crisis has been growing for a long time. We're trying as a city to make efforts to change that, but there's still a lot more that needs to be done. Jennifer Thomas is at Homeless Connect for the first time. She says she hasn't gotten a dental cleaning in 10 years and she's grateful to see an initiative like this without payment or paperwork as barriers to entry. Otherwise, what would we do? You know, what would we do? Our teeth might rot out of our face. I don't know. Every single dental professional at this booth believes that health care is a human right and it should never be a privilege that's locked behind financial barriers. While extended health services are some of the highest costs, Homeless Connect also gives out thousands of articles of clothing, on-site vet care and pet food for animal owners, and at one of their most popular booths, haircuts. It's self-care, right? And it's one of those things that you don't realize you take care of every day. Being able to give back and help people feel better about themselves, it's really nice. If anybody is homeless and they need help, they come here. It's 13 years and counting for the one-stop shop, and they say they're already gearing up for the next event. Mercedes Gaston Bidet, CBC News, Toronto.