Covenant House Vancouver

If you live in Vancouver, then you know it is a lot colder than usual and the white stuff has been falling. You may wonder and worry what happens to the homeless folks in Vancouver when it gets colder than normal or the weather is extreme.

Vancouver has an Extreme Weather Response Program of which Covenant House Vancouver and many other service providers are a part of. The program issues an extreme weather alert for the homeless, and providers then go above and beyond to ensure no one has to be outside. In Vancouver, extreme beds generally open when temperatures are near zero with rainfall that makes it impossible to be dry, freezing rain, lots of snow, high winds or temperatures below -2 degrees. These types of beds can be opened by existing shelters with the help of volunteers and extra staff. They can also be operated by churches and community groups. They are often a mat on a floor and may not have food provided and have little support services. These beds are meant for crisis only and not meant to replace year round shelters or long-term housing.

My name is Christine Columbine. I have been married for 6 years to my hardworking, loving and patient husband and together, we have 2 boys aged 2 and 5 years old. I am a stay at home mom, however, I work 10 hours a week as a hair stylist in my hometown of Lloydminster, AB.  I want to share a story with you about what has motivated me to give to Covenant House Vancouver.  I am sharing my story in hopes that it will inspire, and warm the hearts of others.

On August 14th of this year, my husband (Lane), my oldest son (Elias), and I were in Edmonton, AB. for the day to celebrate my son's 5th birthday. We wanted to take him somewhere special for his big day, and he chose West Edmonton Mall's indoor Amusement Park, Galaxy land. We had an absolute blast!  After supper and a great day of fun we jumped in the car to head back to the hotel.  As we drove away from the mall, our tummies full after a great birthday meal, we approached a young man standing on a boulevard at one of the traffic lights. He must have been in his late 20's, maybe early 30's. 

He had a sign that read "Please help me, I'm down on my luck. Have not eaten in days." This was very evident, as his frame was skeletal and he had very little expression in his eyes.  Making eye contact with him, I could see that there was no hope, no faith, no love, almost as if he was a shell of a body-invisible to the hundreds, if not thousands of people who drove right past him each day.  It ripped my heart out to think that this was somebody’s son, left to beg for food on a dangerous boulevard, all alone. 

Tomorrow the Canadian soccer team departs for the Homeless World Cup in Paris, France for a week-long tournament. Two of the players on this team are from Covenant House Vancouver and we are all very excited and proud of them. Being involved in sports and athletic activities has many great benefits both physically and mentally. It is a great way for our young people to have healthy fun and meet new friends.

There have been some great articles written lately about the Homeless World Cup. Please have a read of this article by Vancouver Courier and this one by The Vancouver Sun.

One of our young ladies on the soccer team was featured in this Wednesday August 17th Tyee article.

Good luck to all the players!

"In B.C., the deep, multigenerational issues of poverty, addiction and criminality that feed homelessness are so removed from normal affluent life that the human connection between those who are affected, and those who are not, has nearly been lost," he writes. "Incidents I came across on the streets of the 'best place on Earth' were as distressing as some of the worst instances of suffering I've witnessed in war-affected countries. Thankfully, just the same as those countries, the streets of B.C. can be friendly, innovative and beautiful." - Ryan Fletcher.

I wanted to share with you a 3 part series written by Ryan Fletcher from The Tyee called Living Homeless in B.C. Ryan spent 10 days living on the streets in various parts of the lower mainland and he offers an interesting perspective about what it is like to be homeless in B.C.

*Please note these articles use profanity and speak openly about drug use and crime and may not be appropriate for everyone.*


Photo by Jenn Martin of The Tyee.

This letter was sent to us along with the video below recently:

“Dear Chris and the staff & volunteers at Covenant House,

Enclosed is a video that my 11 year old son, produced, edited and acted in.  He has a heart for
helping others and one day hopes to attend film school.  I am hoping that his video may inspire you to continue with what you are doing with helping the youth at Covenant House.

Thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication.

Sincerely from,

Mac and his Mom & Dad”

Our thanks to Mac for creating such a cool video and for caring about homeless youth!

It never fails to amaze me what playing sports can do for people. Whether you go for a run by yourself to blow off some steam or play a group sport like baseball as a way to have fun and meet people, sports give lot back to you. Being involved in sports and athletic activities has many great benefits both physical and mental.

I wanted to mention two great sport programs that are going on right now for homeless folks in Vancouver. One is the Homeless Soccer League and the other is Run for Change 5km Fun Run on August 21, 2011. We have youth involved in both of these programs and it has been a really positive experience for them. Not only have these programs helped them get more physically healthy; they have really provided them with a community and way to have fun without the use of drugs and alcohol.

Check out this recent story from the Province about the Homeless World Cup in Paris.

Volunteers will be canvassing the lower mainland today to count the region's homeless population.  This year, a special emphasis is being placed on including homeless youth.  Click here for more information.  Click here for information on the 2008 homeless count.

It is something we do everyday (maybe twice a day) without even thinking about it. It wakes us up, relaxes us and can ease away the day’s stresses... I’m talking about showering and bathing. It is something most of us take for granted: the ability to clean ourselves and freshen up anytime we want.

Homeless people do not have this luxury and it adds more stress to their already difficult journey. Not being able to clean yourself can cause lots of health problems including: foot rot and skin issues as well as emotional pain from the stigma of being unclean.

When homeless folks have access to showers and laundry it is very beneficial to their overall wellbeing and health. A shower and clean clothes are one of the first things we offer to our youth when they come to see us and it goes a long way in helping them feel better. It may seem like a small thing but when you know you are clean and smelling good it frees your mind and gives you the confidence to deal with other issues like looking for work, getting counselling and finding permanent housing.

Recently, it was announced by The Province newspaper that some of Vancouver’s community centres will be offering free showers for the homeless. I think this a wonderful way of using existing resources to help Vancouver’s homeless population. The Gathering Place is one community centre that already offers laundry, foot soaks and showers for its users and membership is only $2.00 for the entire year.

I wanted to share a story that was in the news recently about Constable Jodyne Keller who works as the Vancouver Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Co-ordinator.  Constable Keller’s job is to connect and form relationships with homeless people in Vancouver. This is not an easy feat as many homeless people do not respond well to people in positions of authority - especially the police.

I think it is great that the VPD is using a relationship building approach along with traditional policing methods to better reach and work with Vancouver’s homeless population. Relationship building is something we believe strongly in at Covenant House Vancouver and we know that it can take a long time to build trusting relationships with youth. But we also know when those relationships are in place, positive change can really start to happen.

Feel free to learn more about this story by clicking here or by watching the video below.

The documentary “Most Livable City” directed by Fiona Rayher & Daanish Ali looks at the importance of access to fresh, clean water including those who live on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The film premiered at Vancity Theatre as a part of a BC Civil Liberties Association event, and it also played at the Carnegie Centre.

I was really impressed with this film and the questions it asks and I wanted to share it with all of you. Having worked with homeless youth I know how hard it can be for them to find water especially late at night. When I used to work the overnight shift at our Crisis Shelter many youth would come by for some water, a snack and a chat.

I hope you take time the time to watch this thoughtful documentary and share it with your friends.

Most Livable City from Pull Focus Films on Vimeo.