Category Archives: Homeless

Consider, Homeless

Letter re: Christians vs ‘abbotsford christians’

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Editor, Abbotsford Times

I just want to clear up a misunderstanding arising from the failure of the Times to properly put in quotation marks and use small letters instead of capitals. In my original letter sent to the Times and posted on the View from the Street page of homelessinabbotsford.com it was ‘abbotsford christians’. The use of small letters and quotation marks was to make it clear I was referring specifically to Gertie Pool and her like, her fellow ‘abbotsford christians’ as opposed to the practicing Christians of our city.

Those Christians who not only talk about their Christian principles but practice them in their daily lives. It disturbed me when I spoke to Gordon and his fellow Christians as they ministered to the hungry homeless and poor, that this failure on the part of the Times to use quotation marks and small letters to distinguish between the two groups (practicing and non-practicing) would cause him to think I would paint the Christians in our city with the same brush I would apply to the ‘abbotsford christians’.

Many Christians throughout the City strive to help those of their fellow citizens in need. If any of these felt I do not appreciate them, please stand corrected – I truly admire and appreciate your willingness to practice your Faith in your daily lives. In fact, the point I had hoped to make in my letter to Gertie Pool is that this city would be far better of with more Christians like you, who live your Faith as opposed to those who only talk their ‘faith’.

Homeless, Municipal

Editor, The News; Tuesday April 4, 2006

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Note: I was going to just post excerpts but felt Mr. Gibson deserved the courtesy of his entire letter, so I have highlighted the parts I want to emphasis.

 Abbotsford’s residents are living in a city that is trying to be something it’s not.This is not a small town that’s experiencing growing pains. It’s a city. Period. And as a city it needs to have progressive thinkers in charge that can handle city problems and growth.There is no reason why issues time and time again get put on the back burner to be dealt with in the future. The future is now here in Abbotsford, and I believe this city is long overdue for some of the amenities that come with a population base the size of which is here now, and growing rapidly.

We should have an arena the size of which can handle a WHL team, not a BCHL team. Why should Chilliwack be supporting a larger market team in a much smaller market? Other uses for the arena would attract people and money here, not the other way around. A casino? Why not have one here instead of seeing our dollars head elsewhere? The dangers that come with gambling do not simply disappear if an Abby resident gambles in another city. It’s past time for this city to build some sort of entertainment district, clustered close together south of the No.1 highway. This would keep policing costs down, keep young people in town and realistically accessible to taxis as transportation.

This city is a ghost town at night, and it should be a hub to draw people from the smaller cities that surround us. Residents of Chilliwack, Mission and Aldergrove should be feeding our economy, not the other way around. And our 1 o’clock closing times are a joke that gets laughed at by visitors to our city. The people who really want this are long in bed at this hour. Keep our streets safe? Does anyone see the streets as safer since these changes were implemented?

You need big thinkers in a big city, and more tax dollars earned at night would help fund the issues that really are hurting Abbotsford – addiction and homelessness. City in the country? It’s starting to look like East Hastings in the country.

Rodney Gibson Abbotsford Becoming Hastings in the country

Homeless

Letter to Times, gertie pool

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Editor: Abbotsford Times, RE: letter of Gertie Pool

Ahhhh, Gertie Pool, ‘abbotsford christian’ extraordinaire. To genuinely see true Christian principle degraded one only need read your mean-spirited, cold-hearted and judgemental letter.

While I was aware that the ranks of the homeless were growing, since Abbotsford lacks enough true Christians such as Gene Klassen to help the unfortunate back onto their feet in keeping with the loving teachings of Jesus. I just had not realized that 62% (20 million as per Ms pool divided by the estimated total population of 32.5 million) of Canadians were now homeless or poor.

I was unable to find the rider cited by Ms Pool “take care of the poor, but not the greedy necessarily”. Perhaps Ms Pool would care to share where she found this rider in the bible? I also could not determine where she is looking when she sees “excellent social services, welfare system and dedicated child and welfare administration”. These do not exist for those who actually have to deal with them. Unfortunately the bulk of the giving that earned “most generous giving community” was to the churches who horde the money for fancy buildings, sending their children abroad for free travel – oops – I mean to help the homeless in foreign countries and for hiring more pastor to generate more “generous giving”.

I certainly agree that it is necessary to help the homeless overcome their problems. But that is a little hard to do if they are focused on finding the food and shelter needed to survive. I also must agree with the sentiment that the “command to feed the hungry encompasses a far broader area than filling the stomach only”. I just have not been able to devise how one would reach Ms Pool and her fellow ‘abbotsford christians’ in a manner that would permit one to inject a little Christian Charity and Principles into their souls. But as a matter of faith I am sure it can be done.