Category Archives: Homeless

Homeless

I had not known Hunger took Holidays.

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Evidently in Abbotsford hunger takes the last summer long weekend off. What else explains the “meal gap” from lunch Saturday August 4th through lunch Tuesday August 7th, a gap of 72 long hungry hours – if hunger was not taking a Holiday that is?

Usually lunch is available Sundays and Mondays, but with hunger on Holiday the fellowship of the organizations that had taken responsibility for serving lunch on those days joined hunger on Holiday.

Imagine my surprise at finding Hunger on Holiday, as my personal experience with homelessness was that hunger was a pretty constant companion, a gnawing worry.

A simple phone call was all that was needed to set in motion the provision of lunch on Monday, that and a willingness to ask some people to volunteer some time to set up and serve lunch.

Which is what made Hunger Sunday so frustrating – another simple call and Sunday 41 for the year could have been covered with those simple, but hunger appeasing bagged lunches.

I suppose that if the sacrifice to serve lunch on this holiday weekend was to much, I should not expect the effort to give warning so those who understand the meaning of commitment could step in and serve lunch.

Hunger, need, suffering and our host of other social ills take no Holidays.

That is not to say that those who give to their community and the less fortunate in that community do not deserve holidays. It is just that being responsible adults requires making provision for those depending on us for sustenance to be served and not left hanging – and hungry.

Homeless, Poverty

Can-opener Ride Side of Life.

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Sometimes the only way to truly understand something is to gain that understanding the hard way, which all to often turns out to be the painful way. It is recognition of this fact that had Philip Mangano saying that if you want to end homelessness you need to talk to, to consult with, the homeless themselves.

This came to mind this week because I had the opportunity to learn another painful lesson in reality. Years ago I had a friend who had an old car that required frequent repairs in a range of $100 – $300. She scrambled to find cash for the repair bills, robbing peter to pay paul.

I always told that for what she was spending in repairs she could get a much better car and she always told me I just didn’t, I couldn’t understand. I owe her an apology now that I DO understand.

These days I need a car to get around and although ease of travel is a nice benefit, it is not why I NEED a car these days. Between my knees, hips and back I no longer have the walking range to walk to the bus. Recently I was forced to use the bus so I took my cane, set out for the bus stop and when I finally hobbled up to the stop I collapsed onto the bench in agony.

When my rear wheel suspension broke I was literally trapped in one location, imprisoned not by bars but by the pain walking results in. As an aside – if you know someone with trouble walking please take the time to make sure that they get free of their prison by giving them the gift of your time and transportation. I need the car to get to the pool to swim in order to do the exercise program for my back that gives me what mobility I have, with no swimming comes a life of constant pain, a very limited life.

Anyway I found myself in desperate circumstances needing my car, a car needing repair to run now and in need of several more items of work in the $100 – $300 range on an ongoing basis. Now the accountant/business side of me knows it would be smarter to get another vehicle but … I do not have the money and homelessness rather ruins your credit rating.

I had to wait until Wednesday cheque day to take the car into the shop to be able to cover the bill. Fortunately I deal with a very good garage and they were able to find used parts for the car, still $400 is a budget busting expense as will be the ongoing needed repairs. My friend was right I did not understand – I do understand now, but I would rather have passed on the opportunity to gain such understanding.

This major cash flow dilemma put me on the can-opener ride. Those who have seen the TV commercial will understand, for those who have not seen it, a brief synopses: can-opener opening can, voiceover “to pay the rent she cannot buy food, to buy food she cannot pay the electric bill, to pay the electric bill….”

The ad strikes a deep cord with me as I need to lose weight which for me is a matter of what I eat requiring me to switch to a switch to a diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and a supply of lean meat (protein). With a budget of $20 – $40 per month peanut butter is a staple and bread (as it can be found for free) is a major staple. So a healthy diet is currently financially out of reach due to the need to pay other living expenses.

So now I can get around and to the pool (the pain is lessening) but I have a car sized hole in my budget leaving me facing a chat with my landlord, the phone company …. The same type of chat a growing number of citizens face as the term affordable housing becomes an oxymoron and for many wage levels do not reflect the true cost of living.

Just when it seemed that I had managed to balance my budget and cash flow so as to not have to constant worry, the reality of poverty and an unexpected bill put me right smack dab onto the great can-opener ride of life for the poor. Another understanding I would gladly have forgone.

Homeless

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child!

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Shakespeare’s words came to mind while reading the story about the arrival of the big blue bus in Abbotsford, coming to feed the homeless, poor and hungry in the late afternoon on Sundays. Once again I was left to marvel at the many volunteers who give their time to help and feed many a “thankless child” in Abbotsford.

From Mr. Sheldon Francis’s words you would never know he had eaten many Sunday lunches courtesy of the dedicated volunteers of The Open Door Church of Seventh Day Adventists. Being a small church and having taken responsibility for serving lunch 40 Sundays a year they do not serve chilli but a nice bagged lunch. Much more important is that in the years I have known them they have never failed to serve their lunches. To those I have seen turn their nose up at a bag lunch: stop bitching – you’re obviously not hungry.

Chilli is the treat reserved for the first Sunday of the month and the church group that serves lunch that Sunday. It is a very tasty treat with plenty of food and often with home-baked treats. You have the Valley Christian Centre and the churches who supply the food for their Friday suppers; Street Hope is once again (thanks to Global Harvest providing a location) serving food on Wednesday; and Monday to Saturday the Salvation Army serves lunch.

I personally want to say a special thanks to the many dedicated people who volunteer their time to come in prepare, serve and clean up the lunches at the Centre of Hope. As I watch all to many clients bitch, moan and complain I can only wonder at the spirit that moves these volunteers to continue to come in and endure such behaviour, feeding not only those who appreciate their hard work but every “thankless child”.

I welcomed the arrival of Mr. David Poulette and his big blue bus because the need in Abbotsford is large and as the Food Bank statistics show, growing. Speaking with Mr. Poulette he made clear that he would be glad to share his blue bus with any group interested in providing an evening meal lifeline@uniserve.com.

I once asked of Love Abbotsford why not spread its Love (and food) throughout the year, for the hungry are there 365 days a year not only when it is convenient. Now I ask the churches of Abbotsford, and their members what about your Love? Is it such that you are willing to make the commitment and small sacrifices to share it with those in need?

It takes a community to address and heal community issues. It is time to build a community of those with the Love to share caring for those in need, even the “thankless child”. If the spirit moves you but you do not have direction: ask homelessinabbotsford@hotmail.com – for this new “community” has need of those generous of heart.

Addiction

Stupid is as Stupid does

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Forrest Gump was certainly correct with “Stupid is as Stupid does”. This point was thoroughly demonstrated by a Seattle radio host whom I had the misfortune of listening to on a CNN news report I had caught about a thoughtful approach to homelessness underway in Seattle.

I do not watch a lot of TV or CNN but as I was channel surfing for a way to kill some time inside out of the baking heat I caught the words homeless and Seattle as I flipped by CNN and having a strong interest in homeless issues felt compelled to stop and see what was going on.

It turned out that Seattle had developed a 59 (?) unit building to house the city’s worst homeless alcoholics. They defined worst as those who made the most hospital visits and had the most police interactions. In other words they defined worst as those homeless alcoholics who cost the most dollars to deal with.

For $13,000 a year Seattle had reduced the hospital visits by each individual from 3 – 4 a week to one a month and interactions with the police to near zero. Being Canadian I have to leave estimating whether this represents savings in the $$$100,000’s of dollars or $1,000,000+ to Seattle citizens and those more familiar with American medical costs. In any case this approach is saving Seattle taxpayers umpteen thousands and thousands of dollars per year.

In the middle of this report was a Seattle radio host criticizing this approach and calling for an end to the program. I am not sure whether this radio host was demonstrating his desperation for ratings or a complete lack of common sense, good judgment and financial wisdom. At any rate it was a pitiful sight and left me wanting to pass along this suggestion to the desperate or dumb host:

If you truly feel that strongly about this approach and want to end the program then step up and take responsibility. The solution is for the citizens of Seattle to pay for the first $13,000 of expenses, the current amount taxpayers are paying, for each and every person who would be in this housing tax- savings plan. You, and any other Seattle taxpayers foolish enough to agree this innovative housing approach should be shut down, will be responsible for paying the hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars incurred because they are once again homeless.

That is to say put YOUR money where YOUR mouth is; or put another way: put up or shut up!

Addiction, Municipal

Commentary on Abbotsford BC’s Recovery House Policy – part 1

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I was speaking to someone I know about Abbotsford’s new recovery house policy. She told me that the intention was not to close the bad houses but to cause them to become recovery houses in fact, not just in name.

This statement contains some fundamentally mistaken beliefs.

What I consider the major failing in addressing the question of recovery houses is that the policy assumes that all those who are currently living in a recovery house in Abbotsford are there seeking recovery from their addiction (the economics of the recovery house industry and the effect of market forces will be addressed in part II). Reality is that many of those who are in a “bad” recovery house are only there so as to have a roof over their heads. These people have no real interest in getting clean, staying clean and getting on with recovery.

They have not yet reached a point where they are ready to move into sobriety and recovery. So, while you can force the houses to become bona-fide recovery houses, you cannot force the substance abusers into recovery.

The net effect will be the same whether you close the houses or force them to be legitimate places of recovery – more, a LOT more homeless on the streets of Abbotsford.

Understand that I fully support the need to clean up the recovery houses in Abbotsford so that those coming out of treatment and/or looking for a clean environment free of mind altering substances can be sure that in our city a Recovery house is a substance abuse free environment. We as citizens of Abbotsford owe a duty of care to those seeking help in overcoming substance abuse problems that require ensuring a safe environment for them.

Reality, what a concept, is that in ensuring this safe environment the city’s actions are going to displace 100 – 200 substance abusers out of their current housing and onto the streets. I say onto the streets because there are no viable housing alternatives for those abusing whatever substance they prefer.

Why do you think there are so many so-called recovery homes in Abbotsford? It is simple supply and demand, supplying demanded housing at affordable cost.

The Reality is that even with the best of intentions the net result of the city’s recovery house policy will put those 100 – 200 substance abusers on the street. The Question is why the city has ignored reality and proceeded as though there will not be any consequences of implementing their recovery house policy?

Common sense and leadership would seem to me to have demanded acknowledging the reality that the recovery house policy will have a significant effect on increasing the number of homeless on the streets of Abbotsford and taking action to address this reality before flooding the streets with more homeless bodies.

Clearbrook residents are currently screaming at City Hall about problems in their neighbourhood. The new city approach will likely close many of the recovery houses that residents are complaining about – and drive many of those in the recovery houses onto the streets in the Clearbrook area.

What then? Round ‘em up, move them out to fresh pastures in a new neighbourhood, much the same way a rancher would his herd of cattle? When the new neighbourhood starts to scream and complain loud enough, will the city perform another round-up of the homeless and drive them to new pastures in another neighbourhood and so on and so on ad infinitum?

It is time we stopped futilely dealing with social problems on a piecemeal basis that experience has shown not only fails to accomplish anything, but allows problems to worsen. We need to take a much more holistic approach, dealing with the entirety of a situation, issue or problem.

The new recovery house policy is not a solution. A solution does not merely trade one set of problems for a different set of problems, but address all the underlying facets of the problem. It does no good to take an action that will cause many of the current residents of recovery houses to leave the recovery houses …

… Unless you have also put in place policies to provide affordable housing for the newly “released to homelessness” in a manner and form that will encourage and facilitate their moving into treatment and recovery. Where are these policies and alternative housing?

We simply cannot afford the insanity of repeating past behaviours over and over hoping the outcome will be different this time and solutions magically appear.