Category Archives: Homeless

Consider, Homeless

Please remember the Food Bank

Leave a comment
I read in the papers that for Food Banks this is the time of year a major portion of their funds are raised and that it is also an important time for food item donations.

From my observations and knowledge, in Abbotsford we are seeing an increasing number of people relying on the Abbotsford Food Bank for their daily sustenance. With an alarming increase in the numbers of seniors and children dependent on the Food Bank.

I share this in order to urge people to be as generous as possible in making cash donations to the Food Bank because I believe that in order to serve the growing population of hungry in our City, the Food Bank will need all the funds it can muster. So, please be extra generous.

I also want to urge people to be extra generous in their food donations now and in the New Year. I had a recent conversation with a friend about what to donate or how to find out what to donate. As a service and to provide an expert opinion on this matter, I contacted the food bank which (or is that who?) said:

“Virtually anything for food works…as you know however high protein items like peanut butter and fish are always good and breakfast items like pancake mix and syrup…our clients here all like KD (Kraft Dinner) of course and pasta’s of any sort…we virtually get no dairy and little produce so that would be of great help.”

A simple guide from the horse’s mouth.

Dairy? Produce? I do not have clue as to how to address this. So ladies and gentleman, boys and girls let us put on our thinking caps and come up with ideas on Dairy and Produce. Remember donations can be also be a good idea or volunteering your time.

In my pre-homeless, pre-poverty days it was a regular habit with me to drop a food item into the food bank boxes that the grocery stores had, at that time, prominently displayed near the check out area. These days the only generosity I can show to the Food Bank is to not use it (I can eek by without) leaving a little more on their shelves for those who, without the Food Bank, face hunger. I can also ask you to be generous – and I do.

Please be sure to take time at this hectic time of year to remember those who need our help to put food on their tables. Support our Abbotsford Food Bank and please, be generous.

Homeless

Let’s extend the Season into the New Year

Leave a comment

I sat listening as the reality of the “Season” was explained to a newbie. “There will be all kinds of meals, food and useful items given to the hungry, homeless and poor for the next few weeks, but the end of the month marks the beginning of the empty winter months of January and February when there is nothing”. The newbie, like so many others, had never thought about how bleak January and February are, particularly in contrast to the plenty of the “Season”.

I call the phenomena the Christmas Switch, switched on for the few weeks leading up to Christmas and switched off on “Naked Greed Day” (aka Boxing Day). It happens every year like clockwork.

So what do I want? World peace, an end to homelessness and poverty, affordable housing, win 6-49 …

On a more practical note I do have a want for those who feel called to do something during this season. Remember that hunger, homelessness and poverty exist year round, especially those dark months of the post “Season” blues. Get together with friends, colleagues or members of your congregation and begin planning and preparations to share the spirit of the “Season” outside the season in January or February when it is badly needed.

A food drive for the Food Bank, to restock their shelves and remind people that hunger is still there in January and February, that hunger is a year round reality for far to many of our fellow citizens. An out of season turkey dinner for the hungry and homeless. Warm clothing, blankets, mitts, gloves, goodie packs are still badly needed in January and February.

It is even more needed, more appreciated in those bleak months. Consider the fact that the homeless have to carry their possessions with them. How much could you carry around with you – all the time. Piles and piles of goods given during the short “Season” just go to waste, left behind abandoned, to heavy to carry.

I know that doing something in January or February is not as easy as in December. I also know that William Arthur Ward was correct in telling people “… to focus your energies on answers — not excuses”.

MCC East, with a little ingenuity, opened the loading bay doors to serve soup and sandwiches to the hungry and homeless on a freezing cold Saturday evening. The people from the Hillside Church braved treacherous streets and made it through the snow to serve their monthly lunch on this first Sunday of December, hot chili, pasta and coffee.

Thoughtfulness, ingenuity and effort. With those ingredients we can make this January and February less bleak and spread some of the spirit of the Season into the gloomy days of January and February. Just a thought seed for those who find themselves wondering “what can I do to make a difference this Season/year?”

Next year we will start to work on March through November.

Consider, Homeless

Government/Big Business Conspiracy?

Leave a comment

I want to be a little careful here because I was speaking with some classmates the other day, in a mental health context, about people who see government conspiracies everywhere and about at what point they become delusional. Still …

In a later conversation, on the webcast the Fred Factor, I touched on the point that the current welfare system tends to beat you up, beat you down and abuse you.

The system strips you of your dignity, self-confidence and self-esteem. It hammers you into a little box, makes you dependent on the system and places multiple barriers to you getting off of welfare.

Having beaten you down it inundates you with all these messages about how much better your life would be with a minimum wage job. Despite the fact that in Abbotsford the minimum wage is not a living wage. That is to say – you cannot live and pay your bills working a 40 hour work week at or within a few dollars of minimum wage. Do the math and you will find that you need to earn $13.00+ an hour to afford housing and food in Abbotsford.

Consider the screams, moaning and carrying on that business does at the mere suggestion of raising the minimum wage even $0.50. $13.00+ is apoplexy range.

Many businesses, many big businesses, are built on low (slave) wage rates set by the current minimum wage rate as well as their ability to use and abuse employees by labelling them “part time”. Business needs a supply of people willing to accept this abuse and wages that do not pay the bills or enable employees to make ends meet – in order to make their huge profits.

Where is business to find such a desperate labour pool of compliant worker bees?

Enter big government with their “Income Assistance” system who also, conveniently, just happen to set the minimum wage rate.

They have a system, the welfare system, which takes people in need and transforms them. It strips them of dignity, of their confidence, abuses them, habituates them to jumping through hoops, renders them totally dependent on the system and then bombards them with advertising that extols the virtues/advantages of even a minimum wage job to escape the clutches of the fiends at Income Assistance.

Voilá! You have the labour pool so needed to run business and fuel the continuing transfer of wealth from those people who actually do the work and build the wealth to the wealthy business/ruling classes.

One would almost think that the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance was a branch of business, not of the “people” government. Or one could see a conspiracy among the ruling politicians (and their bureaucrats) and the wealthy/business rulers (and their bureaucrats) to provide the needed cannon fodder fir business to thrive, earn undeserved, excessive profits and continue the transfer of wealth to the wealthy and ruling classes.

But that would be delusional – or would it? Keep in mind that you are only paranoid if they aren’t out to get you – and there is no conspiracy. But you might want to be careful – Mental Health is under the control of the politicians and their bureaucrats.

Just a little something to ponder.