View From the Homeless Streets

Saturday May 13th, 2006 at the Crossroads, the morning air was shattered by the roar of motorcycle engines as the bikes were fired up and the bikers headed for the highway. As they headed down the roadway the growl of their engines seemed to hang in the crisp morning air, only slowly fading into silence. All this ado was not about nothing, but was about raising money for the cause of helping the homeless to find homes and regain their joie de vive. The bikers had gathered for breakfast at Crossroads before heading out for their ride. A bag was passed at breakfast and several hundred dollars were raised. To those that organized the ride and to those that participated, I extent my thanks on behalf of my fellow homeless. They hope to make it an annual event, one of the many small contributions needed to address the issues and problems of homelessness.

It is upon this type of involvement and community support that the success or failure of any homeless initiatives will rest, for without the support of the community any initiative will fail. So if you are wondering if/what you as an individual can do here is the example of what resulted when one of your fellow citizens felt she needed to do something to contribute to the homeless and her community of Abbotsford.

Reply to www.somethingcool.ca about welfare issue May 8, 2002

Say there Fred … Did you really mean to write the third example of: “Deductive reasoning is the key element… Sadly, this special ability given to us by whatever force is often misused, or in the case of some us living in British Columbia, not used at all. This was clearly evident in the newspaper at least twice this week” in your logic piece in the May 1, 2006 issue? Because you clearly demonstrated a lack of deductive reasoning in the statement: “Which is, of course, why welfare is at $510 a month. The purpose of this program is to give only the amount needed to acquire the most basic of necessities: as in rent, and a little bit of food. While collecting these meager funds, the welfare recipient is expected to be looking for a job, the acquisition of which will provide the person with the money to live that comfortable, happy lifestyle we talked about earlier.” Even if one chose to accept your premise that $510 is enough to provide the most basic of rent and food, and I would challenge you to demonstrate that $510 could meet those basic rent and food necessities, There is a hole in your reasoning, not to mention a total absence of the logic required to qualify as deductive, sufficiently large to fly a 747 through. Toiletries, garment cleaning, transportation, newspapers, communications are only a few of the costs required to find a job. How do you propose that the welfare recipient be looking for and acquiring a job when you provide no funds to accomplish this task?

Now it seems to me that anyone capable of “deductive reasoning” would immediately recognize the reality that if you want someone to accomplish something (employment) you need to provide them the tools (expenses) required to do the job. To expect job seekers to be successful, you need to provide them sufficient funds to cover the expenses that must be incurred to find accomplish said success. Requiring job seekers to rely on ‘abilities’ such as telepathy to communicate with prospective employers or teleportation to travel to submit résumés or attend interviews seems irrational and most definitely illogical. Clearly demonstrating a total lack of “deductive reasoning”.

To Mr. Hoekstra:

I must point out that it would have made it easier to understand and appreciate his problems if he had told us what business he was managing and its location (if necessary). I heartily agree that "Our focus show be on treating our ill citizens not expecting them to camp out in the rain." Unfortunately the problem has been ignored by both the politicians and citizens, such as Mr. Hoekstra, until it has reached the point where it has become such a large problem that it can no longer be ignored. The difficultly with the approach of ignoring the problem until it becomes 'in your face' in size is that there is nothing in place to address the issue. As a homeless person myself I regret the need for compassion park. But until the politicians and citizens get their act together and start to get the needed co-ordination, programs and access to facilities in place the people of Abbotsford are going to have to endure compassion park and the other problems associated with having allowed the homeless. It is the price society pays for sitting on its a** with its head in the sand on an issue it wanted to ignore because it had no neat, comfortable 100% successful solutions, until it reached the size it could not be ignored. I do feel insulted Mr. Hoekstra paints us all with the same brush, many of the homeless are extremely honest and honorable. At the same time I acknowledge his difficulties and the difficulties that others can have. But, if you chose to ignore a problem until it blows up in your face, you have to deal with the mess it makes as well as the original problem. Oh, as a final point, you might want to worry about the type of customers you have if you need to worry about them "accidentally" driving over people.

To Mr. Pihowich:

I can only say: get a dictionary. It is clear from your letter you have no understanding of what the word solution means. Solution: a. The method or process of solving a problem. b. The answer to or disposition of a problem. A solution requires solving the problem of the homeless. Spreading the homeless and their tents throughout the city in backyards solves nothing. Of course it would hide the problem so it could be ignored again. At least until it reached truly gigantic problems. Of course ignoring the problem is how it reached its present state and size, but then if you cannot understand what a solution involves it is hardly surprising you cannot understand the consequences of continuing to avoid addressing the homeless situation. As to those Barbecues, you might want to ask Councilor Lowen as I understand that one of them was his originally. But generousity is probably in the class of 'solution', that class of ideas and concepts you cannot grasp.

submitted April 28th

Mr. Murphy certainly has the correct nickname. “after all, these people need alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin etc.” It is apparent from this statement that “Spud” has his head buried deep in the earth. This serves to explain his inability to see the real world around him. As one of “these people” I need affordable housing (or an adjustment in the $325.00 shelter allowance to a realistic level; $325.00 for a place in Abbotsford?), food, showers, laundry, a phone, transportation, employment and a helping hand. I have no need of mind-altering substances.

Although given “Lord High Commissioner, sheriff of the forest and Robin Hood and his merry band” one could wonder just what mind altering substances old “Spud” is doing. Plus, use of mind-altering substances would explain “Spud’s” altered view of reality vis-à-vis the true nature and needs of “these people” such as I.

As I was leaving London Drugs at a little after 6:30 PM Sunday April 30th I say a mother struggling to get her daughter’s wheelchair onto the sidewalk and through the building entrance. Why did she have to struggle? Because some ill-mannered, inconsiderate idiot had parked in the clearly marked no parking zone and blocked the ramp for wheelchair access. To the driver to that red, Chevrolet Venture passenger van, plate ATW 777 … I was thinking of asking if you were raised in a barn, but I would not want to insult the barnyard animals by suggesting they would sink to your level. Still, it must be handy to be able to walk under a snake’s belly without having to worry about bumping your head.

I was at an organization that shall remain nameless, let us call them SA for convenience. I was planning to attend an al-anon function (through the generosity of fellow members) celebrating 55 years of good work. So I sought out a washer and dryer so that in return for their thoughtfulness, I too would be thoughtful and have clean, sweet smelling garments. I turned on the washer and asked for the gift of laundry detergent. I was handed a sandwich sized baggy cantaining a mysterious white powder.

I have no doubt that if many of the writers of 'letters to the editor' and their like minded citizens had seen this exchange they would wrap themselves in self-righteousness braying "see, I told you they were all druggies!". What then when I poured this white powder (laundry soap) into the4 washer? Well, heads into the sand with the other 'Spuds' lest they see something that disproves theiir vision of reality.

Me, I just poured thje soap into the washer and looked forward to tomorrow. After all in its 55 years Al-anon has helped many of us acheive a clear veiw of reality.