Category Archives: Homeless

Caveat emptor, Federal, Issues, Municipal, Provincial

Society is Our choices.

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A recent e-mail sent me to the Chilliwack Today website to read a column inspired by a Chilliwack Progress story concerning the proposed establishment of the Chilliwack Contact Center * for helping those living on the streets by converting the Days Inn hotel currently operating on Young Road.

*[A facility designed to offer housing and health services and solutions to the homeless that, according to Chilliwack MLA John Les will make a difference in people’s lives and improve our community. Medical care, court advocacy, rental assistance as well as help for those facing mental health or addictions issues.]

The first thought was about how many projects like this and other affordable housing projects have been bypassing, or in the case of the Olympic legacy housing passing right through, Abbotsford on the way to Chilliwack.

While Abbotsford ‘s Mayor and council have been very good at saying the right things and paying lip service to the need for affordable housing, they have failed at providing action based leadership on this issue, as they have on so many other pressing city issues (secure water supply, facilities and road maintenance, etc). Seeming to bury their heads in the sand, as if these issues/problems will disappear on their own.

But I digress.

The column and story were about a major, perhaps the major, problem that has given birth to our current society and that prevents us from addressing the problems and issues Canada and Canadians face – IT IS ALL ABOUT ME!

Which reared its ugly head in opposition to the Chilliwack Contact Centre.

You can recognize the presence of IT IS ALL ABOUT ME syndrome by the use of buzzwords or buzz-statements such as those uttered by area resident Renée Woods: “It’s not that I’m against the project in any way, I think Chilliwack definitely needs it.”

‘Woods main concern is the location, asking why the health contact centre couldn’t be established downtown instead.’

I cannot say whether those suffering from IT IS ALL ABOUT ME are lying to themselves or to the public to excuse their actions and obscure the reality that they are opposing the project they claim not to be against.

A location has been chosen, plans specific to that location have been prepared, a deal to purchase the property has been agreed upon – all that remains is rezoning. If the rezoning is not approved the Centre does not come into existence.

Regardless of how you try to spin it or delude oneself, the reality is that if you oppose the rezoning you oppose the Chilliwack Centre.

A reality more clearly seen in Ms Woods words “I’m worried that they’re just moving the problem from downtown to here. I feel they are taking the lowest socioeconomic group and moving it a block from my house,” she said. “If it changes the dynamic of our neighbourhood, it’s unfair.”

I believe I will let her words speak for, or more accurately against, themselves.

The deep, dark humour/irony here is the existence of neighbourhoods were Ms. Wood is seen as a member of the lower socioeconomic classes whose mere presence would change the dynamic of the neighbourhood.

People speak as though society results for someone else’s actions, is someone else’s fault as though their behaviours have nothing to do with or no effect on society.

Our society has been built and continues to be built by the choices, actions and behaviours of all of us. Every choice we make, every action we take – or don’t take, how we behave creates the society we live in.

In September 2010 I wrote about a business man who, finding a homeless man and his dog camped out under the awning of his building did not have man and dog removed but purchased a garden shed and installed it at the side of the building to provide shelter from the elements for man and dog.

This week the homeless man came down with pneumonia, requiring hospitalization. Once again the businessman stepped up to the plate when nothing compelled him to do so, except his own code of behaviour, and took the homeless dog home with him to make sure he is cared for.

The Society so many deplore is created and shaped by us. Society is us, our choices, actions and behaviours.

Choose which society you want to bring into being – the one that is created by Ms. Woods words, actions and attitudes OR the one that is created by the actions, attitudes and behaviour of the businessman.

Your/Our choices bring into being the Society we choose. If you do not like the Society that we live in – change your behaviour and influence others to change their behaviours until the Society you/we want exists.

Thanks

Ya gotta eat.

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Food is one of those necessities that, like oxygen and water, you don’t survive long without. You can wear you clothes to tatters, you can live in a tent, you can live on the street – but you’ve got to eat to live.

It is because you have no choice about eating, that the rising cost of food imposes such a burden on the poor – and those who endeavour to ensure those who cannot afford this necessity of life, get enough food to sustain life.

Which is why Saturday January 22 found the Thursday Night BBQers holding their first ever fundraiser to help cover the rising cost of the food – costs that until now have come out of their own pockets.

Many people find sustenance at the Thursday BBQ and on their (and my own) behalf I want to proffer thankful appreciation to those who made raising funds to defray rising food costs possible.

Thanks to Immanuel Fellowship Baptist Church who provided the use of their parking lot and assorted accoutrements to hold the fundraiser – a BBQ/bake sale/flea market.

Thanks to those who donated items, baked goods et al to be sold.

Thanks to the BBQers who gave their time not only to put on Thursday’s repast but put in all the additional time required to put on the fundraiser – so they could continue to spend time providing a Thursday night repast.

Thanks to the volunteers who gave their time to assisting in putting on the fundraiser, most generously giving up their Saturday to put on the fund raiser.
Special thanks to those who came out to support the fun raiser with their wallets. The success of any fundraiser lies in the members of the community who come out and open their wallets to contribute. Some of who simply came by to make a donation – or to pay (when you do the math) outrages prices for (admittedly tasty – but not THAT tasty) smokies and burgers.

For a community to be whole and healthy it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other – for without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.

Caveat emptor, Issues

Second class citizens, 3rd rate medical care

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Seeing Mr. P’s walking arrival at Thursday night’s meal for the hungry on the grassy roadside of Gladys underscored the fact that although it is annoying and demeaning, it is not being treated as second class citizens that worry’s the homeless, mentally ill, addicted, poor and powerless when they HAVE to deal with the Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Rather, it is the 3rd rate medical treatment that is afforded to ‘second class citizens’. Not simply because one is often sent on ones way without receiving even minimally adequate care or receiving care that complicates or exacerbates the problem, but because the ‘treatment’ one gets at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital can be downright deadly to one’s survival.

If that statement seems less than charitable it is because I have experienced the less than professional ‘care’ dispensed to the homeless and powerless and over the years have watched the toll that the behavior at Abbotsford Regional Hospital has exacted from the homeless community.

I am personally reminded of this fact of life for ‘second class citizens’ every time my neck acts up and I need to have it lanced and go on antibiotics.

This is a result of the time several years ago I went to Emergency to have an infection in/on my neck lanced and the cyst removed. As I say, I could have lived with the doctor’s attitude – if only he had done a proper job and removed all the cyst.

He didn’t, so every once in a while the piece of cyst he didn’t clean out causes an infection which needs to be lanced to drain the pus and other assorted gunk and a course of antibiotics. A process I go to a walk in clinic for, rather than risk a return to Emergency.

In light of the problems and complications the treatment afforded ‘second class citizens’ at Abbotsford Regional Hospital causes I consider myself lucky to suffer what is more of an annoyance than a threat to life or limb.

Last spring (2010) I attended the memorial for Laurie McDonald, a member of Abbotsford’s homeless community who had the misfortune to seek medical attention at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

She had gone to Emergency several times to seek treatment for balance problems and had been sent away after having been told she was fine.

The next time she had balance problems she was in Saskatchewan and went to a hospital in Swift Current (I believe). Which quickly, after a few tests, sent her to Regina where tests showed her balance problems were caused by a brain tumour. Within days Laurie was in surgery, which was successful. Unfortunately she died of complications.

To be accurate the unfortunate thing about her death was that she had gone to Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s Emergency for over a year about her balance rather than the hospital in Swift Current Saskatchewan.

A disturbing thought/reality is that if Laurie had sought medical treatment in Saskatchewan first, rather than at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, it could well have been a life saving decision.

Mr. P’s walking arrival at the Thursday night dinner was notable because it was not that many weeks ago that Mr. P was unable to walk more than a few steps and appeared to be knocking at deaths door. Over months and weeks he had been repeatedly hauled off by ambulance to Emergency at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Despite the increasing frequency of his visits to Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s Emergency he just kept getting worse – heading downhill at an increasing rate.

It looked like Mr. P was not long for this world – until he was fortunate enough to be in Mission when he needed to seek medical treatment.

They admitted him to the Mission Hospital for several days, over which time they ran tests to see what was causing his health problems. As a result of the treatment Mr. P received at Mission Hospital he reappeared in Abbotsford bright eyed and bushy tailed. Alive, well and capable of walking to this Thursday night dinner.

Which is why Mr. P’s walking along the road to the dinner on Thursday night called to mind the unacceptable state of affairs at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital – were for ‘second class citizens’ seeking medical care, their best way of achieving good medical care is to catch the Valley Connector to Mission and Mission Hospital or go to the Greyhound station and catch a bus to Saskatchewan.

Federal, Issues, Media, Municipal, Provincial

Voting age

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How would you know…?

…that the BC Liberals (and NDP) parties are allowing those under the age of 18 to vote for the leader of the Party?

Could the first clue be the fact that the leadership candidates are suggesting, or jumping on the bandwagon, that the voting age be lowered to 16?

Talk about putting a whole new spin on the tradition of kissing babies for votes…

We have graduated drivers licensing for young drivers, those under 18 (the current voting age) are not allowed to purchase alcohol and the legal age of majority is 18.

So are the leadership candidates saying that voting is a less important or requires less judgment and maturity than driving a vehicle, buying alcohol or being considered to be legally an adult?

“Liberal leadership contender Mike de Jong says he wants to lower the voting age in B.C. from 18 to 16 in a bid to attract more voters to polls.”

Since the polls are in schools it would certainly be easy and convenient for students to vote which may well lead to a higher turnout percentage among this new group of voters – at least as long as they are in school and it is easy and convenient – artificially inflating the voter turnout numbers.

If the goal is simply to increase voter turnout why don’t we move the polls to more convenient locations? Malls, grocery stores, bars etc. Making the polls more conveniently located so that people do not have to make an effort to go and vote will also raise voter turnout.

Of course moving the polls out of the schools, thus reducing the ease and convenience for the new voters to vote will undoubtedly significantly reduce turnout among the proposed new voters to levels more in keeping with the turnout in the rest of the population.

Besides, does not a ‘fair’ election require that no group of voters have a significant advantage in the opportunity to vote? In the interest of fairness and not conferring an advantage should not voting be equally inconvenient for all voting populations?

If someone cannot go 5 or 10 minutes out of their way to vote – do we really want them voting?

If the goal is to increase voter turnout might I make a suggestion? Instead of lowering the voting age or moving polls to convenient locations we might want to try a truly radical solution – giving voters something (someone) to vote for.

I keep myself informed on what is happening in BC, Canada and around the world; keep informed on what the issues are and the events effecting the issues; give thought to what information experience/history provides on the issues; think about the future and what actions we need to take.

I am a person engaged and prepared to give informed consent on how I want the city. the province and the country to be governed.

Unfortunately (for the province, country and world) I also have nothing and/or no one I want to cast my vote for.

Being interested and engaged in the issues of government and governance I often ‘talk politics’ with others who keep themselves informed who complain of being in the same position – being informed and engaged they also find they to have no one they consider deserving of their vote.

Those among this group who feel they have to vote, having nothing and no one to vote for, find themselves condemned to holding their noses and voting for the lesser of evils. Political discussion on the ‘Net and comments made to the media by voters suggest that a significant percentage of those who do vote in provincial or federal elections are confronted by the dilemma that if/when they vote they are not voting for the direction or the policies they want the province or country to be pursuing but either 1) voting to prevent something (i.e. a Conservative majority government) or 2) voting for the lesser of evils (i.e. a minority government).

I am old enough that I can remember when elections were about issues, not about spin, mudslinging, saying as little as possible and telling the voting public what it wants to hear.

On the flipside I can remember a time when voters applied thought to the policies and politicians they voted for – not just whether they hear (or think they hear) what they want to hear.

While giving the above collection of voters something to vote for would help to stop the decline in the percentage of voters, in order to significantly increase the number of voters it is necessary to re-enfranchise the more than 50% of voters who are currently disenfranchised.

Disenfranchised? What else would you call it when the votes of these voters have no effect on government behaviours and policies that impact their lives. When voting is pointless – you have seen that your vote makes no difference to what happens to you – why would you bother to vote?

Since the number of disenfranchised voters continues to grow every election, basic mathematics tells you that voter turnout will continue to decline every election.

Governments, politicians and pundits prefer to use the term apathy to explain the decrease in voter turnout. As in ‘the voters don’t vote because they are apathetic’, an explanation politicians, pundits and the public find more palatable than the harsh truth: that the majority of voters don’t vote because nobody speaks or will speak for them.

If you are wealthy, well to do, a businessman, a corporation etcetera – the BC Liberal party (Conservatives federally) will act to advance your interests.

If you are big labour/union or one of a number of special interest organizations/groups that contribute to the political interests of the NDP, the BC NDP (federal NDP) will act to advance your interests.

[The federal Liberals, due to a lack of leadership and ideas, have become the: ‘I don’t want a Conservative government; I don’t want a NDP government; that leaves the Liberals’ party.]

The majority of Canadians and BC residents have no party, no politician or candidate for office that will advance their interests.

Disenfranchise: 1. to deprive of the right to vote or other rights of citizenship 2. to deprive of the right to send representatives to an elected body 3. to deprive of some privilege or right 4. to deprive of any franchise or right.

Represent:: 1. to stand or act in the place of, as a substitute, proxy, or agent does; 2. to act for or in behalf of (a constituency) by deputed right in exercising a voice in legislation or government.

Politicians, pundits and the enfranchised public will no doubt deny this uncomfortable reality as the current state of affairs is to their advantage. Especially in light of the fact that if those who are currently disenfranchised and do not vote were to found a party and recruit candidates to represent them, the politicians, pundits and currently enfranchised public would suddenly find themselves suffering the consequences of their interests and needs being disregarded.

Clearly a situation politicians. pundits and the enfranchised public have no desire to find themselves in.

Think about it: when experienced politicians in the BC Liberal party addressed the question of increasing voter turnout they avoided addressing increasing turnout by re-engaging the non-voting voters and turned to finding new voters and that the NDP have shown no interest in addressing voter turnout.

The disenfranchised majority needs leadership and representation to emerge and give voice to their best interests.

Issues, Poverty

‘Tis the Seasons

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Ah yes – Black Friday and the official opening of the Season of Greed and its companion Seasons ‘it’s about ME’ and ‘Wasteful Plenty’.

The Season of ‘it’s about ME’ where people are phoning around looking for someplace to volunteer – early in December so they can get it done before they get busy. No, it cannot be January or June or October but must be December.

Should the organization be unable to accommodate the December, preferably early December, timetable …… it’s “Thanks but I’ll try somewhere else”. Should the organization be so … ungrateful as to suggest volunteering in another month at a different time of year … egad, that’s just not on.

The Season of ‘it’s about ME’ where it is not about the year round needs of others or the organizations that serve the community and those needs 52 weeks a year but about the needs of ME’s December.

Soon after the opening of the Season of ‘it’s about ME’ we will be into the Season of Wasteful Plenty, a sub-Season of the ‘it’s about ME’ Season.

The Season of Wasteful takes place during the two to three weeks before Christmas when the homeless are buried under so much Plenty they cannot carry it all.

Giving those to whom sharing or a generous heart is an anathema the opportunity to bemoan “See, the homeless are throwing away what was so generously given to them. So ungrateful; there is no point in trying to help them obviously don’t appreciate/deserve/want help.”

Both critics and givers overlooking or ignoring the reality that when you are homeless, you have no convenient storage for excess items; that when you travel from place to place by walking every ounce of weight gets heavier over the course of the day; that winter, with the need for warm clothing and its inclement weather, is the time of year the homeless can carry the least.

During the short 2 – 3 weeks of the Season of Wasteful Plenty the homeless are loaded down with so much stuff they either need a pack animal to carry it all or must chose the items most useful to their survival – and abandon the rest.

Then the High Holy Day(s) of the Season of Greed – Boxing Day and Boxing Week – arrive and the Spirit is switched off and thoughts of the homeless and giving are relegated to the scrap-heap of indifference – until the arrival of Black Friday once again signals the opening of the new Season’s of Greed, ‘it’s about ME’ and Wasteful Plenty.

Watching this cycle year after year, knowing how useful the items abandoned during the Season of Wasteful Plenty would be in the days, weeks and months following December 25th – if they were to be distributed in the New Year.

Watching people scramble to get their volunteering in, making themselves feel good or be able to say “oh yes, I volunteered at ******. Knowing what could be accomplished if volunteerism, generosity and the Spirit could truly be kindled in the hearts year round.

It is the season that, rather than bring out the Light in the human race, too often speaks to the worst in the human race.

It is the season that would have me despairing of the future of the human race was it not for …

The dental professionals who give their time to the Abbotsford Food Bank‘s dental clinic so those with the need, but not the means, can have dental care; the volunteers who not only faithfully come in to prepare and serve lunch throughout the year, but give up their holidays (i.e. thanksgiving) to come in to prepare and serve lunch so that holidays are not a day of hunger for those in need; the varied group of people who come together year round on Thursday evening to donate, prepare and serve a meal to those who hunger – outside in sun, rain or snow ; the congregations of Peace Lutheran and St. Matthews who one Sunday a month serve dinner; those who give their time as big brothers/sisters, to coach the Special Olympics, to coach soccer or hockey or baseball; the two friends who preserved my mobility (my car) and the benefits that flow from that mobility; others who struggle to meet the need in our community.

Behaviours and people remoulding the despair for the future into a search for the words to inspire others to think, to reflect and to change – choosing enlightened self-interest over greed.