October 10: World Homeless Day! What part will you play?

October 10 will mark World Homeless Day. This year’s slogan, ‘locals act locally on a global day’ will be highlighted throughout the world as individuals, groups and organizations will host events to spread awareness about the growing problem of homelessness.

Here in Canada, the number of homeless families has grown increasingly in the past 20 years with at least 200,000 people experiencing homelessness in a year.  On a given night, 30,000 people are without a permanent address with just under 3000 without a roof over their head. Most of us feel the crunch of working payday to payday and can at any moment find ourselves filling these shoes. According to a paper released by The Homeless Hub, as many as 1.3 million Canadians have experienced homelessness or extremely insecure housing at some point in the past five years.

Each of us, as individuals and citizens of our community, need to stop fooling ourselves in thinking homelessness isn’t our issue…it’s everyone’s issue. Every community experiences homelessness; just because you do not see them on the street, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. As many as 50, 000 homeless Canadians can be found in police lock-up, medical emergency departments, or sleeping on a friend’s couch and are referred to as the “hidden homeless.’ We must not be fooled, homelessness affects us all.

With the winter cold looming over us, many will feel the financial grip of trying to balance an otherwise un-balanceable budget, having to choose heat or food.  Each year, the Canadian economy expends $7 billion to offset the costs of homelessness in this country, an economy we all contribute to.

So, what will your part be in spreading awareness, and achieving a solution to ending homelessness? How about joining us! Here on the home front The Southwestern NL Housing Stability Initiative’s Special Project’s Committee will hold a FOOD DRIVE during October’s Community Café on Thursday, Oct. 9 from 11:00-1:00 at the local Lion’s Club. Patrons are asked to bring along a non-perishable food item and enter for a chance to win a prize donated by the College of the North Atlantic. All items donated will be presented to the Emergency Food Bank located here in Stephenville. So, let us ‘locals act locally on a global day’ to end world homelessness!  See you on October 9^th. 

 

.Stephen Gaetz, Jesse Donaldson, Tim Richter, & Tanya Gulliver (2013): The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press