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Homelessness in Canada Editorials from the desk of Darren Charuk and Laura Binette
THE POWER OF ADDICTION
Imagine, being homeless, in a muddy, slimy, dark deep pit trying desperately to get out. You claw your
way inches from the top and to freedom and just when you think your there you slip back down
again and again. That is how I can describe this man´ addiction. Homelessness and daily drug use has been his way of life now
for over three years. This man tried recovery once this year and stayed
clean for 4 days before he gave in to the Power of the addiction.
We see him now and then and we´ll stop, talk briefly and give him some words of
support. But until he surrenders to the fact that he is an addict, nothing can be done.
Today, the man reminds me of an x-ray as he is so thin and physically beaten I´m amazed that
he is still alive.
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ALL I NEED IS A PLACE
We, as outreach workers, hear this phrase time and time again. At times we also here "ALL I
NEED IS A JOB" and in this story its about a mother of two who was so adamant that a place
would solve her problems that we decided to help her get on Social Assistance and see if she
could find a place and get off the drugs. At this point her kids are with her mother as this
woman has been living out of a parked van. May 25th 1:30 pm was first contact when this lady
came up to me and asked for some money. I wouldn´t give her any but I did ask her a few
questions and she mentioned she was homeless and wanted help but not yet. This lady
disappeared for two months and re-surfaced at the end of July. She had been using a lot of
drugs so we tried to suggest recovery as a means of support but she said all she needed was a place and all would be
o.k. Even though we knew from experience that it would never work we got her onto Social
Assistance and she started looking for a place. Today, Sept. 12th this 37 year old mother of two
is still homeless, still on drugs, but the saddest thing of all is that she truly believes that she
will be fine once she gets a place |
TWEAKER
This is a story of a very special Young woman in Canada entrenched in street life and homeless here in the tri cities. She is a survivor and definitely a character, we can call her Megan. She won´t deny that she is addicted to drugs or struggles with Mental Health issues or that it´s holding her in the lifestyle. We have helped her several times to access resources for Treatment, shelters etc.
The wait lists for some of these places are so long that it´s hard for her to keep calling and hoping to get in for weeks on end. When and if she gets in she will stay from a couple days to a couple months than to leave for one cause or another. While to some people it may be discouraging that it doesn´t seem to stick. I can´t help but shake the thought
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WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
There are many times that I ask myself this question, but with this one particular client I´m
afraid only God has the answer. Since May of this year we have been working with this woman
and just when we think were making progress she runs. This lady is around 40 years of age
and has a daughter of 10. She has been homeless now for over two years and to see her you
would never guess it. She has lived in abandoned sheds, tent cities and even alone in the bush.
During the past five months we have gotten her into a recovery house (which she left), aid on social
assistance so that she could have medical and a few dollars for food and personal care. We also
had a bed reserved at a homelessness shelter that would have provided a program for helping her get well but
every attempt made she either ran or told us she´s not ready. The causes are many. Her mother died suddenly in
August and since then she seems to be lost in a different world. We still see her weekly at the
food bank as well as God Rock, but mostly we see her biking around town on her old 10 speed
that has no brakes, a basket out front that is decorated with flowers and a sadness written on
her face.
What will it take?
What I do know is we will not give up. |
TILL DEATH DO US PART
Marriage, a sacred union that has been watered down over the years so that when hard times
come (and they do) it has been made far to easy to get a divorce. The couple that I´m going to
tell you about has been married for over 32 years and for the last 2 they have been homeless.
Imagine if you can, having a business, home, cars one day and before you know it you´re living
in a tent under a tarp. First contact with these folks was early in the project when another one
of our teams laid the groundwork in what was to become a huge success. Day after day, night
after night they would go and pick up cans and bottles to make enough to just survive.
Regardless of the weather, regardless of the causes of their homelessness, regardless of their health they had to go to work. Throughout all
this they stayed together and never gave up. After we got them on assistance the process of
restoration was in motion. Currently, teeth are being made for the woman and they have just
been approved to rent a one bedroom apartment in Port Moody and we are hoping to move
them in on Oct 3rd. They both want to return to the workforce and once they move in we will
help support them with furniture that we get donated to us. |
TWEAKER CONTINUED
that one day she might just have a shot at a long fulfilling life. She is Young and when you wipe the sadness and the drugs away you can see how beautiful she is.I don´t think that she has ever had a semblance of normal life. Megan knows the reality of her situation that people die on the streets or even worse, just exist. I will never forget the winter of 2006; the snow fell as hard as she did. I was at city hall as usual giving out coffee and snacks when she plunked down shivering beside me. Even with a blanket wrapped around her and the body heat of her junkyard dog she was on the verge of hypothermia. I am usually the one who is a stickler about keeping a professional distance but that night my heart broke for her. She looked at me with sad exhausted eyes and said, "Please just sit beside me and give me your warmth". I let her huddle up next to me and gave her some coffee. One thing I have noticed about Megan is she never gives up and I admire that. I know any day we could get a call asking for help again. That is what we are here for, that´s our Job. Sometimes it takes a long time or never happens but when our clients are ready and willing we help them. I think we all need someone who believes in use no matter where we are in life; someone who will never give up, and stand by our side. I know that for Megan, I plan to be there, because tomorrow is when the miracle could happen. In the mean time I will be here to listen and hopefully she won´t feel so alone.
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