This year’s Homeless Partners initiative is seeking to fulfill the Christmas wishes of 343 Lower Mainland residents who are experiencing homelessness.
With five days to go, organizers of the initiative, which works to forge personal connections between the less fortunate and fortunate, are half way to meeting their goal and are encouraging community members who are able to find it in their hearts to give this holiday season.
“Obviously homelessness is a pretty big issue in our Greater Vancouver area,” says Brian Felushko, this year’s Homeless Partners spokesman.
The Richmond resident serves as the country director for HOPE worldwide of Canada and chapter director for HOPE worldwide of B.C., which is in its eighth year of working with Homeless Partners. Felushko is also lead minister of Vancouver Church of Christ, which currently meets in New Westminster.
“We wanted to engage somehow with the homeless. . . . We just felt like part of the whole homeless experience is you miss those special times and so we thought can we combine acknowledging a special time like a holiday when people are probably missing their families or really being alone with the practical needs that people who are experiencing homelessness have,” he says.
Homeless Partners is a non-profit program founded in 2005 by former North Shore couple Jennie and Daniel Keeran. Run solely by volunteers, this year it’s operating in a number of cities in addition to those in the Lower Mainland, including Victoria, Vernon, Regina and Winnipeg.
In the Lower Mainland, volunteers visited 10 different shelters and interviewed people who depend on them for assistance. They recorded their personal stories and asked them what would meet some needs for them as a gift at Christmas, says Felushko.
“The stories that we’re able to put up, some are really touching and moving and people get to learn a little bit more about what it might be like to experience homelessness and why people are in that situation,” says Felushko.
The stories and wishes (typically two per person) are then posted on the initiative’s website, Homelesspartners.com, arranged by shelter.
“A few gifts have actually helped some people find jobs – (for example) providing work boots for the guy who wants to go and work but he can’t apply for a construction job without the proper footwear,” says Felushko.
Community members are encouraged to visit the site, read the stories and pledge a gift, which are to be dropped off at the appropriate shelter before Christmas.
As of Wednesday, approximately half of the 696 Lower Mainland gift requests had been pledged.
The Lookout Emergency Aid Society North Shore Shelter is a partner with the project and 38 local people’s stories and gift wishes are currently posted.
Of the 74 gifts requested, 40 have been pledged so far.
In addition to volunteering with the initiative, Felushko also contributes personally and says it always feels special.
“It’s more of a personal connection than just say, ‘Put $50 on my credit card,’” he says.
Wendy and Heng Look have been volunteering with Homeless Partners for the last three years. For the last two they’ve been meeting with North Shore Shelter users, recording their personal stories and Christmas wish list items.
The couple got involved out of an interest in ensuring this group of people isn’t forgotten around Christmas.
“Most people in our society have so much more than they really need. It’s much better for us to be giving to these people than to be giving to each other or ourselves. We don’t really need anything,” says Heng.
The people they interviewed all expressed gratitude for any help that comes their way, he says.
The gift requests are modest in nature. For example, North Shore Shelter users’ requests include warm footwear, a rain jacket, a sleeping bag, food cards, a shaving kit and makeup.
“A lot of these people are trying to get back on their feet. They’re trying to get themselves in a situation where they don’t need to rely on the shelters any more,” says Heng.
One story posted on the site states, “Craig is in his mid-40s. He was born in Erickson, Manitoba, but has lived in at least six different provinces: Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Quebec and now B.C. He has been in the Vancouver area the last 16 years. His trade is carpentry. His biggest challenge is getting tools he needs to find work. Finding work would help him feel most encouraged.”
Craig hopes to receive a construction nail bag and a hammer for Christmas.
“It’s eye-opening and it definitely does give us a different perspective since we’ve never been in that situation before. People come from all different types of backgrounds, and they’ve faced some difficult circumstances which have landed them in this area. It certainly makes me very grateful for the things that I do have,” says Wendy.
