Please help: Warm clothing for the homeless in Metro Vancouver
I would hope that anybody who had read the horrible news about a homeless woman who died burned while trying to keep warm in an unusually cold climate that has afflicted the Metro Vancouver region will feel at least touched enough to try and help.
I had a Twitter conversation about the topic and how I was appalled that so much support had been thrown (millions of dollars) towards rebuilding Stanley Park and yet, the challenge of homelessness is still ways away from being solved. Many (the vast majority) of my Twitter friends agreed with me. I would like to use this opportunity and build some momentum to encourage you all to donate items (blankets, winter jackets, etc.) to help people in need on the streets.
BTW - homeless people aren’t only based in the Downtown East Side. I live in Mount Pleasant and I’ve seen people who need a warm place to sleep and/or warm clothing everywhere in this neighbourhood, even in Kitsilano!
Anything you can do can help. I found an article in The Georgia Straight and on Stephen Rees’ blog that talk about what you can do. Please help. Every bit is important.
Donations can be made to Gather and Give, a non-profit charity that provides a centralized inventory for organizations working with those in need. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, and is located at 105-418 East Kent Avenue South—just east of Main and south of Southwest Marine Drive. www.gatherandgive.org
Also, please forward, link to this post, write a blog post of your own, do something! I would organize a physical drive around, but I’m not in Vancouver at the moment, so all I can do is through Web 2.0
I also remember that Change Everything.ca were organizing a similar effort. Whatever you do, please help. Thank you.
[...] I wanted to link to Hummingbird604’s post …. [...]
Hello from NetChick.net!
Yam is doing wonders on Twitter with the #vancouvertweetupheatup he organized. Seems like everyone’s going to it but us, and we’re out of town!
Thanks for this, Raul. One thing I always add is: this is important to do - it’s triage. For long-term solutions to the problem, though, we also need to do the hard, sometimes boring, work of writing letters to city council, to our
MLAs, to MPs. We need to vote with issues of poverty, not just our own lifestyles, in mind. We have to be willing to direct our tax dollars, as well as our un-needed clothes/blankets etc., towards social housing, care, and programs to eradicate poverty. Tip of the hat to all who are giving a damn, esp. you.
[...] Raul’s post about the issue [Hummingbird604] [...]