On Homelessness
About 10 years ago, a friend and I met with Liberal Member of Parliament, Hedy Fry, in her office in the Denman Mall.
I'll never forget this encounter.
We made the appointment to discuss an idea we had.
We wanted to open the Burrard St. armories to the homeless as a shelter for a dozen or so days over the coldest part of the season in December and January. The site had heat, hot water, beds, cots, mattresses, blankets, lights, a kitchen and about 100 cadets who marched back and forth all day.
All we were asking of Dr. Fry was that she speak to the Minister of Defense. My friend was a former City Councillor and we felt confident we could get the City onside.
Dr. Fry was so not interested in seeing us.
Her first response was that her research had indicated clearly that homeless people liked being homeless and that they would always chose homelessness because it gave them a sense of independence.
I told her that I lived in False Creek and that I had spoken several times with people living under the Burrard Bridge. To a man, they had all said they would be happy to get in out of the cold.
Her next response was that this was just "a band-aid measure. You're not going to cure poverty."
I was shocked by this kind of idiocy.
I told her that I wasn't a Christian. "But wasn't it Jesus who said, "The Poor shall always be amongst you.""
Here is the school to which I belong.
Almost all human endeavour, and especially the helping kind, is a "band-aid" measure. We do a bit of this, we do a bit of that and we make the world a slightly better, safer place. We push the marble a little further up the hill. Only once or twice in a generation does a Curie or a Salk come along and significantly change the order of things.
The rabbis teach that if you save a soul, you save the universe.
How much can any of us expect to do?
I spent ten years running a treatment centre. I didn't save the world, but I helped many people and I'm both proud and humbled by this experience. If I visit a senior in a care home for an hour, that isn't worthwhile?
Let's leave the Worst and Least deserving Member of Parliament for now and go to today's news.
Jeff Birmingham and his girlfriend - we learn in this morning's Province - collected $1,100 worth of Canadian Tire "money," brought it to Canadian Tire, who matched it and allowed Jeff to buy $2,200 worth of goodies for the poor.
He bought 60 sleeping bags, 60 pairs of socks and 20 thermal blankets.
Please don't write me and tell me from your deepest wells of cynicism that this lovely couple wasted their energies. I applaud them. Bless them for their kindness and thoughtfulness. Their "band-aid measure" will keep some people warm.
IN another Province story, we learn that 5 churches in the tricities area have been taking in as many as 250 homeless people. That's the good news. The sick news is the NIMBY neighbours in the full spirit of Anti-Christmas, are kvetching.
This is a story of Hope and caring and, simultaneously, a story of disgusting selfishness. Read the story here.
It is true that we need larger, more comprehensive solutions to homelessness. They are called HOMES. We need the Federal and Provincial governments to stop putzing about and built adequate housing for the homeless. I am a taxpayer and I welcome this expense.
But until the rosy day that happens, any gesture that alleviates the suffering should also be welcomed.
I'm so sorry that the presence of homeless people in their neighbourhood churches has cut into the delusional plans of the good folks in the tricities who are dashing about buying their new plasma TVs.
I am proud of those 5 churches.
Happy Sunday.
13 comments:
I wonder if the title of your blog, The Berner Monologues is intended, at least in part, to be tongue in cheek. I can't tell for sure. You certainly seem more interested in your own opinions than the opinions of others. That's normal, I guess, but there ought to be some exceptions.
One exception ought to be my opinion. You ought to be at least as interested in my opinions as you are in your own, particularly in light of the fact you are, repeatedly, asking for engagement. So engage me, Mr. Berner.
I sent a longish email, in response to one of your columns recently. You did not respond. That is non engagement. I would imagine you are a busy man. Me too. But I find time to read and write.
So, in summary: I like your style. I like some of your thinking, as evidenced in your writings, but I sense a kind of arrogance, actually a pretty hard edge in that arrogance, and I think you ought to give that up for Christmas, or Lent, or whatever Jewish spiritual program you follow.
I post 99.9% of all comments. I have even had folks remark that I post, without comment, critival and diagreeing and often disagreeable comments.
So, I cannot reflect on why your comment may not have been posted until you copy it to me or tell me what it was about.
In the meantime...this morning's clever assualt stands as a ready monumnet to judgementalism.
You, who pose behind a non de plume, shooting from the weeds without the courtesy to say who you are, carry on with a dozen conculsions about who I am and what I do and what I may worship.
OK, Mr. Assumptionville, have a nice hiliday too.
Oh, did I forget to thank you for your spiritual advice?
Actually, my spiritual advise was sent in the form of an email. The name is Daly. John. Not the golfer. Not the newsman. Just the schlub doing this right now.
John Daly, Mr. Berner. Nice to meet you. Maybe undo the top button on your collar, old chap. The blood pressure seems a bit high.
I think if you read my comment with your glasses on and your mind right you will see there were positive references, both about your ideas and your style.
Your response demonstrates quite nicely, though, the arrogance I mentioned. The shoe fits, Berner, so go and get it shined.
Some interesting stuff here... the Tri-Cities chruch story is nice. I do want to put my views forward about your first point, though.
I don't think it's cynical to question the logic of opening up a national defence armory as a short-term emergency shelter. If we're interested in solving the homelessness issues of Vancouver, we should be looking to lobby the government to implement a national housing strategy, rather than housing people for a dozen nights a year (not to mention the fact that marching homeless Canadians into an army base behind barbed wire is highly problematic).
I don't know Heddy Fry, but if were the MP, and someone came to me with this idea, I'd probably say the very same thing. I hardly think that this deserves the titles of "Least Deserving" and "Worst MP". I think taking shots at someone who took the time to meet with you (in a blog, no less), is in questionable taste.
David, You will remember when I appeared on your show in the middle of the night to chat about the new shelter for the West Side homeless on SW Marine Drive (the former jail). That ran as Lookout South for 6 years until the Liberals came to power, sold the buildings and someone built those little condo suites into a high rise. No one in that neighbourhood ever complained about anything.
Last Dec. I decided to get active on this issue again.Wanted to get Riverview open. Made many phonecalls. Chatted with some yappy woman who said "Oh, you're talking about the Village we plan to have there." Then some man called and said "I hear you want to know about Riverview. I am the person to call." He sounded so threatening that I gave up.
Now one of the suburban mayors has gone on record, I think it's Sekora, about getting Riverview open. Maybe you can call him up and see what's up. Good luck. Keep on raising hell. And, as fqar "a hard edge in that arrogance". Whp is this fool? Cheers.
I think David is spot on with his comments on heddy fry. Perhaps Steve should educate himself on heddy's past performance before he makes such an ignorant comment. This blog is a breath of fresh air. This blog is for those of us who aren't a bunch of pod people.
Thanks for the civics lesson, Daveformayor.
Now THAT's civilized discourse... when someone disagrees with you, or offers a differing opinion, accuse them of ignorance and being uneducated "pod people".
Online democracy at it's finest (see also: the playground).
Wouldn't it be wonderful to read a blog where everyone agreed with the author 100% of the time? I must have missed the warning screen that read No Pod People Allowed. Silly me, just a Vancouver social worker who thinks that good public policy arises from debate, discussion and fresh ideas.
On another note, whether you agree with her politics or not, it is very easy to bash elected officials from the safety of an online forum. David, at least, had the good graces to arrange a meeting before criticizing that MP. What's your excuse?
David, thank you for the opportunity to read, reflect agree and disagree with you. I believe that the discussion is enriched by added voices.
- Steve
Steve, my excuse is that I don't have the time to waste on a loser like Heddy Fry. Besides, Heddy is too busy informing parliament about the burning crosses in Prince George. Don't worry, the next time I see that useless sod, I will let her know exactly how I feel :)
David,
What a contrast of brilliance & hope vs. self-servedness & cynicism. I place Mr. Maudlin and Hedy Fry in the latter category.
You owe nobody anything. You do post wayyyyy more comments on here than most people. Why anyone, out of the blue, thinks that you owe them a response via e-mail is absolutely beyond me! There must be an aptly named psychological disorder for that. Oh, I know, it's called "It's-all-about-Me-Me-Me-itis".
As for Hedy Fry, she is my MP and by far the biggest embarrassment to my neighbourhood in Canada. I can actually appreciate if she, on principle, were against giving handouts to the homeless in her riding. But then, what is she doing to help them out on a more permanent basis? Answer: Nothing.
A high-level Federal Liberal I once met told me that there's no hope for these people, so we just have to accept them for who they are. A sad, pathetic view IMHO. What is it that Ms. Fry thinks she does to earn her paycheque and pension?
This weekend my team of volunteers and I were out delivering computers to people around Metro Vancouver. Is such a gift going to resolve all the problems in each person's life? No. But it will bring some joy to the children of these people, not just on Christmas Day, but for many years to come. Maybe it'll even inspire them in professional directions that they never dreamed of.
Among the recipients were a trained architect from Africa who can't get employment here in his profession and a Ph.D. Pharmacologist from Iran who is only now starting to realize what obstacles are in front of him. But both were deeply touched by what a few average Canadians have done for them & their families.
Robert
Self servedness? Is that actually a word? It's an interesting group ya got here, Berner. Robert must have swung at seven pitches that were never thrown. I simple observed that you're a bit of a mouth breather. Nothing to get hung up about.
Monsieur John,
I took a look at your blog. For *you* to say that Berner is opinionated is more than a little rich. To come onto a person's blog and attack them as you did is beyond the pale.
Hasta luego,
Robert
Post a Comment