A single word – Home – placed in a graphic image of the territory is helping to raise funds toward implementing the Safe At Home plan throughout the territory.

T-shirts and coffee travel mugs bearing the design have been on sale at Coast Mountain Sports since the summer.

The proceeds from the sales have been going toward efforts to follow through on the plan aimed at ending and preventing homelessness.

As outlined during a media event Wednesday afternoon, more than $1,200 has been raised since the shirts and mugs went on sale during the summer. They aim to celebrate “our beautiful home called Yukon” and help those without a home.

With the colder weather approaching, there’ll also soon be hoodies available with the proceeds contributing to the efforts, noted MJ Warshawski of the Taku Sports Group.

“Essentially, our sign says it all: ‘There’s no place like home until you don’t have one,’ ” Warshawski said.

She pointed to the sign displaying the campaign.

“(For) so many of us, Yukon is our home even if they live far away. Yukon is our home in our heart, and there’s people here who don’t have a home, so we just feel we’ve got to do as much as we can, even if it’s just a little,” she said.

Kate Mechan, the Safe at Home implementation manager, added: “And Safe At Home is really just about that. We have a plan.

“It’s a living document and it’s also really about bringing in champions in the community and demonstrating that everybody has a role to play and this $1,200 is an amazing, amazing start...”

In a statement, Mechan commented that initiatives like the “Home” campaign are crucial to implementing the Safe at Home.

“As a community, we’re working towards building an independent entity responsible for supporting Yukon to end homelessness and we’re grateful for this financial support.

“It’s also timely given today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, declared by the UN 25 years ago. We have a goal, and are anxious to reach it as a community.”

Warshawski emphasized the Taku Sports Group’s philosophy to “do our part” in highlighting the Home shirts and mugs available .

She also spoke to the organization’s annual Share The Warmth campaign, which has become a fall/winter tradition for 20 years.

Under the program, anyone who drops off a “used, but still usable (winter) jacket” receives a coupon for $50 off any coat costing $250 or more at Coast Mountain Sports or Sports Experts.

“So it’s a win-win situation,” Warshawski said. “We help our community and we help our customers out.”

She estimated between 100 and 150 coats come in through the program each winter.

Those who receive the coats are grateful for them, Mechan said.

After they’re collected, Northern Vision Development, which operates the Coast High Country Inn, does the coat cleaning with the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition seeing to the distribution to those in need.

Kristina Craig, the coalition’s executive director, noted that this year, the timing worked out well.

Donated coats are set to be distributed at the Whitehorse Connects event set for next Tuesday at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.

Other coats that come in will be provided to those in need via the outreach van and other service providers who work with those in need.