Something is wrong. Very wrong.
The Alliance To End Homelessness Report Card tells us that the number of people using shelter beds has increased again this year (http://www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca/). This last published report (2008) even indicated a 27% rise in the number of youth that used a shelter system.
Ottawa is not unique. Major cities across Canada may vary in climate, population and economic standing, but the ratio of people experiencing poverty and homelessness is fairly consistent across the country.
One friend of mine, Rick Tobias from Yonge street mission (www.ysm.ca ), has stated that after 27 years of devoting his life and energy to alleviating the distress of the marginalized and the suffering of people who are in poverty, the problem has become worse instead of better.
What to do? There are many answers to this important question, not the least of which is, “We can all do something.”
It is our hope that this website will encourage you to take action, to change your world, one person at a time.
We need to be informed, encouraged and motivated to take action and be able to communicate our concerns to others. Your part in changing the face of homelessness might be a one-on-one relationship with someone who calls the streets their home through volunteering with an agency that is making a difference. It might be actively engaging governments on any or all levels. Perhaps you have a gifting or skill to network and raise awareness of the blatantly obvious problem of people panhandling on the streets of our cities. Maybe your part will be to pray and lift up our friends on the streets and the volunteers and outreach workers who are on the front lines.
Please visit us again. As we develop and expand this website we will provide different opportunities for you to become involved.
You can make a difference!