Homelessness Action Week Underway
Sunday, October 7, 2012 @ 7:50 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Homelessness Action Week starts today in Prince George .
It is an opportunity to make members of the community aware of the issues facing those who do not have permanent housing.
Although the City of Prince George was actively involved in a program three years ago as it set out on a path to “end homelessness”, Kerry Pateman of the Community Partners Addressing Homelessness Society says adequate and affordable housing remains an issue and the number of people who don’t have a safe place to live is relatively the same today as it was more than 2 years ago.
There are still about 280 people in Prince George who consider themselves as homeless, or at risk of being homeless. The numbers include those who are couch surfing in order to have a place to stay overnight.
Pateman says this week is an opportunity to highlight some of the issues and to look for strategies to deal with them, at the same time, this week is a chance to link those who are in need of services with the support and help they need.
The special events planned for this week include a Thanksgiving dinner today at the Sacred Heart Church on Ingledew Street from 11:30 to 1:30.
Connect Day is set for Tuesday in the basement of the Royal Canadian Legion from 10-2. Those in need can get a free haircut, lunch and a bag with some goodies to help them get through the cold days and nights ahead.
Comments
Homeless people are homeless because they want to be.
Vote Liberal so they can enjoy their freedom.
Some of them maybe but certainly not all of them. Just try to find a ‘half-decent place’ on the money they have available to them. Tellin’ ya, it ain’t easy.
You mean that taxpayers and government makes available. They are the only ones that can change the cycle of enablement! There are plenty of tools available if they chose!
Yes, Coug, in a perfect world, where life was fair and all had the same access to choices, everyone could have a decent home like you or me.
Sadly, and you realize this once you become an adult, the world is not perfect and not remotely fair. If you’re born with a repugnant deformity, a pervasive developmental delay, a cognitive deficit, or any one of a host of genetic disorders, then the world is not so rosy and you definitely do not have access to the same range of choises that others enjoy.
However, that does not mean that you shouldn’t still enjoy a decent place to live. And, yes, you and I will pay for it because we fortunate enough to be able to.
Yes, Coug, in a perfect world, where life was fair and all had the same access to choices, everyone could have a decent home like you or me.
Sadly, and you realize this once you become an adult, the world is not perfect and not remotely fair. If you’re born with a repugnant deformity, a pervasive developmental delay, a cognitive deficit, or any one of a host of genetic disorders, then the world is not so rosy and you definitely do not have access to the same range of choises that others enjoy.
However, that does not mean that you shouldn’t still enjoy a decent place to live. And, yes, you and I will pay for it because we fortunate enough to be able to.
Now get over it and get on with your life.
I agree 100% Sadly lots of homeless people dont fit into those catagories! I know several people who went from very rich to the East side and it had nothing to do with any of your disorders! It had everything to do with the little white line!
Krusty, very well said. I’d like to add that those who are homeless due to drug addictions are deserving of help too. Yes they made there own decisions and yes they have themselves to blame. However, once in this cycle, addiction takes over, and its almost impossible to break free without help. This has negative affects on all levels through theft, violence and health care costs. In short Cougs, if it was easy to get out once in that situation, the problem would not exist. No one wants or decides to be homeless. Their plight is the result of bad decisions but is not the decision itself. IMO
You are correct VestedInterest! It is not easy for addicts to break the cycle!
“However, once in this cycle, addiction takes over, and its almost impossible to break free without help. This has negative affects on all levels through theft, violence and health care costs.”
Yeah, it’s just too bad that most addicts don’t want help.
Yes, I guess unfortunately, a lot have to hit their “rock bottom” before they accept real help. It’s good that there are initiatives like this for those that are ready to work at it. At the same time, this society in the article is helping many who’s problems aren’t even drugs.
280 homeless people in PG ??? An exaggerated figure to get attention! If you are sleeping on a couch, you are sleeping in a home of somebody. A few years back it was said there were a couple of hundred teenage hookers on the streets of PG. That figure was absurd too.
Northernfront you’re right, I don’t know what its like to be homeless, never claimed to. Just saying that its good that there’s help out there for those that need it.
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