While the coming of winter may be a minor inconvenience for some, it poses significant challenges for those living on the streets.
In the spirit of assisting the homeless, Project Reconnect opened its doors for its one-stop annual fair, offering unhoused folks access to free services, food, resources, and referrals.
Downtown Service Providers and the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region (AEHCR) hosted this year's event Wednesday (Oct. 9) at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Central Baptist Church.
Silvia Ceacero, CEO of AEHCR, explained that this yearB次元官网网址檚 fair, typically held in August, was moved to a later date to better assess and address the street communityB次元官网网址檚 needs before winter.
Upon entering, attendees received a bag containing winter garments and a hygiene kit. They also had the opportunity to connect with 42 organizations offering a variety of services, including medical care, ID replacement, housing needs assessments, massages, haircuts, and more.
Eric McCulloch, who spent part of his life on the streets of Victoria over a decade ago, sat beside a steaming portion of stew, expressing his gratitude for the event.
B次元官网网址淲here the heck do you get food like that? I mean it's just amazing,B次元官网网址� said McCulloch. B次元官网网址淚 got socks, a toque and all the things that I needed.B次元官网网址�
Launched in 2008, the initiative was created to address the needs of both unhoused individuals and service providers, explained Ceacero.
B次元官网网址淭he event is not only for those experiencing homelessness to feel welcome, accepted, and connect with services but also for service providers to connect with one another,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he more we know about each other, the more we can better serve our clients.B次元官网网址�
Winter is coming
Although most attendees left the event with smiles, many concerns remained heavy on CeaceroB次元官网网址檚 mind as winter months loom. She noted that the changing seasons highlight current flaws and gaps in the fight against homelessness.
According to Ceacero, some of the most pressing issues include a lack of shelter spaces, housing opportunities and a labour shortage.
B次元官网网址淟ast year, what we experienced was an insufficient number of beds and mats for people and overcrowding,B次元官网网址� said Ceacero. B次元官网网址淧eople who are working for [homeless] organizations are being asked to do more and more with less and less. The funding is very limited and asking people to work 18 hours a day is just not possible.B次元官网网址�
At the event, Blazer, a young man who has spent the last decade on the streets, shared that he has felt this pressure first-hand while trying to find a bed for the night at Our Place.
B次元官网网址淭he shelter is kind of hit or miss because there's only 30 beds there so you have to get there a couple of hours early,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his week I got in there once in seven days.B次元官网网址�
Ceacero also noted that increasing encampment sweeps by local authorities in recent months have only exacerbated the situation.
B次元官网网址淐riminalizing poverty is not the solution for ending homelessness, unfortunately,B次元官网网址� said Caecero. B次元官网网址淭he fact that we are pushing people out [from their] tent and force them to go to shelters when those spaces don't exist, we're not using a human rights-based approach to housing.
B次元官网网址淭here's no way nowhere for them to go.B次元官网网址�
Living on the streets was increasingly difficult, at the mercy of the wintry elements, Blazer explains that every day represents a new challenge.
B次元官网网址淲e're always dealing with bylaws and you can't really camp anywhere,B次元官网网址� said Blazer. B次元官网网址淭here's no places to shower and storage is also another big issue. You have to pack your stuff and carry it around every day.B次元官网网址�
Seizing the opportunity to call for action, Ceacero urged all levels of government and community stakeholders to join forces and find a solution to end this lingering issue.
B次元官网网址淗omelessness is an issue where everybody needs to get involved and where we cannot expect one group or another to end homelessness,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t takes a village to fix the system, and homelessness is a systemic issue.B次元官网网址�
