homelessness

An Unexpected Encounter

Image: Unsplash/Matt Collamer

This is a story of a friend and his wife who have taken a chance in their town to reach out to the homeless community.  Upon finding there were 20 folks who camped in the subway station each evening seeking warmth and shelter, they decided that they would purchase Tim Hortons gift cards and give them out each morning, so the folks are able to purchase a hot breakfast.  As they continued their morning ritual over many months, the folks began to talk with them, and one gentleman asked about getting a Bible and inquired about seeing a Priest. 

Image: Steve Knutson/Unsplash

My friend obliged on both counts, giving his new friend a Bible, and inviting him to his parish and arranging a time that the gentleman could talk with the Priest.  There was a comfortableness growing between both parties and each morning they looked for each other so they could greet them and wish their new friends ‘a good day’ knowing they would meet again the following morning.  This had become a pattern for my friend and his wife and getting up at 4 am was not a hardship for them.

Feeling more comfortable the gentleman made his way to the Parish and spoke with the Priest a couple more times.  An unexpected thing happened for my friends.  On a morning as usual they went to the subway station ‘cards in hand’ only to be told their friend died in the night.  There was not any further information given.  Imagine the sadness of my friends and the shock they are continuing to live with.

As my friends told me this story, I couldn’t help but think ‘you took a chance with a stranger” and it changed your lives.  This homeless man had received respect and concern from them, and they granted his last wishes for a Bible and a meeting with the Priest.  There is a mystery here of God working within us if we but take a chance and engage with folks we meet on our streets each day.

I read a recent quote from Mirabai Starr:

“Our task is to mend our broken world.  We do this through acts of loving kindness, generosity and hospitality. Our actions count, but our loving thoughts make a difference.  They help mend the world.”
— Adapted from Living School Symposium, Albuquerque NW Center for Action and Contemplation

-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

Encounters on the Trail

The rewards of walking on London, Ontario’s trails exceed that of mere exercise.   I meet friendly cyclists, walkers, pedestrians, and dogs.  I listen to birds, search for frogs in springtime, and experience the constant changes in the weather and scenery.  Occasionally there is an intriguing encounter. 

Image: Unsplash/Blake Lisk

Today I met a man, whom I will name, Joseph, who was walking up a slope from a tent on the river’s edge. He had descended to the tent to check on the welfare of the occupant because of the very cold temperature.  The tent’s owner was absent, and the walker expressed hope that the tent-dweller was in a safe, warm place.  Joseph spoke about his regular walking tours of London’s trails. He described having urged a tent dweller on another trail to seek temporary shelter; this man had declined the suggestion, stating that several blankets kept him sufficiently warm and that staying in a men’s shelter was too dangerous.  Joseph spoke of another occasion in which he had met a young female tent dweller, convinced her to leave her unsafe location, and assisted her to find refuge from her alcohol-addicted boyfriend. Walking the trails in London to search for people in need is a regular practice of this good Samaritan.  

We conversed together about the difficulties for people who have no homes, the lack of adequate resources, and the failure of past efforts to remedy a grievous problem in our city. We also noted the anonymous donation of twenty-five million dollars for a new effort to overcome homelessness, the willing cooperation of several organizations to remedy an untenable situation, and the skilled leadership from the city that together provide hope that London can, at last, overcome a longstanding calamity. 

Patricia McKeon, CSJ 

It Takes a Whole Community

It takes a whole community…

The city of London, Ontario could learn from the people in the Maritime provinces when it comes to helping each other.  I am speaking about the response of people rolling up their sleeves to help in large and small ways to address the devastation that has hit so many individuals and families who are dealing with the effect of Hurricane Fiona.   We in London are facing a homelessness crisis.  We need to come together and to find a humane way to work with the people who are without food and shelter.  The solution the City of London has applied to shut down this program at the Baptist Church on Richmond St. due to a bylaw violation will not change much.  This may satisfy a few people who live or work in this area, but it is not the solution that is needed to create real change for everyone but most especially for those who need shelter, food and a lot of understanding.

Image: Unsplash/Jon Tyson

As the colder weather approaches us, this is not a problem that can be kicked down the road for a new council.  This is problem that all of us, who are a part of London, need to listen to and understand the multiple perspectives of many people.   People of faith communities, people at City Hall, people who are homeless, businesses in the downtown, neighbours, agencies, health care people and likely others who I have not named have ideas.  This is a challenge facing all who live in the city - in which a simple or “one size fits all” solution will not address the crisis. 

I would advocate that we start coming together to talk to each other and even more importantly, listen to each other.  I believe hidden in the spaces of such conversations are spaces for some new and innovative ideas to emerge.

“I wonder if…” ideas worth considering could help us all move forward together. We will all be better for it.

Sister Joan Atkinson, CSJ | Office for Systemic Justice

Advocacy in Action

It has been wonderful to see churches in London stand up and declare that outreach to people living on the street is at the heart of their mission and integral to their ways of doing worship. And there is no doubt Ark Aid Street Mission is doing critical work, meeting needs which are not being adequately addressed. 

SEE ARTICLE HERE

Image: Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao

Equally encouraging has been the number of Londoners calling for City Hall to sit down with business owners, church ministers, and social agencies to find adequate solutions to the current situation.  Such a dialogue would be more complicated than simply slapping a church with a bylaw infraction, but one hopes it would yield more fruit – and certainly more justice.

At the same time,  the current situation begs the question:  What is the city’s plan for ensuring the wellbeing of the estimated 300 people who live outdoors?  How might the city’s budget surplus of $14 million come into play? How can we better support the critical work of social agencies in the city? And might we, as Londoners and City Hall together, advocate to the provincial government to use the $7.2 billion it budgeted, but didn’t spend (and indeed to add to this total) to boost programs such as OW and ODSP, mental health services, and affordable housing so we’re actually addressing some of root causes of homelessness?

 -Sister Sue Wilson, Office for Systemic Justice