New Westminster is getting set to shine the spotlight on homelessness.
The city has declared Oct. 12 to 18 as Homelessness Action Week. The week, celebrated by cities across Metro Vancouver, will focus on providing support and services to people who are living in extreme poverty and homelessness and identifying its impacts on all communities in Metro Vancouver.
Dave Brown, chair of the local Homelessness Action Week, said a week full of activities will help bring awareness to the plight of the homeless.
Homelessness Action Week kicks off on Monday with Thanksgiving dinner at the Union Gospel Mission, where more than 200 people will enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
On Tuesday, more than 20 organizations will join forces to provide one-on-one free services to homeless individuals at Connect Day. In addition to enjoying a tasty meal provided by the Sikh community, folks will also be able to get help finding housing, mental health and substance abuse support, dentist and hearing tests, haircuts, employment counselling and more.
Wednesday’s event features a tour of several of the local facilities helping to keep people off the streets. During the tour, people will learn about the organizations that are working to address the challenges of poverty and homelessness in New Westminster.
Homelessness Action Week is presenting a movie night at Rhoda Kaellis Housing Centre on Wednesday, featuring Celebrate What’s Right with the World and The Pursuit of Happyness. Everyone is welcome to attend the movie night that begins at 6 p.m.
Along with raising awareness, Homelessness Action Week also seeks to raise money for local initiatives through the annual fundraising dinner taking place on Thursday, Oct. 16 at The Columbia Theatre. Tickets are $75 (with tax receipts being issued for a portion of the ticket price).
This year’s dinner features CBC radio personality Kathryn Gretsinger as MC, and guest speakers Joe Calendino, a former member of the Hells Angels and a recovering addict who runs gang and drug prevention programs for youth in vulnerable neighbourhoods, and Sgt. Toby Hinton, a member of the Vancouver Police Department and a founding member of Odd Squad Productions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing drug education for youth, peer-to-peer training and film productions.
During the week, community members are invited to drop by the Russell Housing Centre to view the Art of Darkness, an exhibit by the Street Troupe Art Group and other artists. It’s taking place on Tuesday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), Wednesday (12 to 3 p.m.) and Thursday (1:30 to 4:30 p.m.).
“You have some avant-garde artists that are just mind boggling,” Brown said.
An interfaith meeting on the theme of Opening Doors, Opening Hearts is the final event of Homelessness Action Week. Everyone is welcome to attend the discussion, which takes place on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church.
Full details about all of the events taking place during Homelessness Action Week are available at www.nwhomeless.ca.
