Homeless and cold: Having a little compassion is the most important thing
“Having a little compassion is the most important thing.” Amanda Crist, Director of Community Services for The Royal City Mission, told me, “Just little things, it goes a long way.”
Standing in the biting wind outside The Mission building in Guelph didn’t bother me much at all because I happened to be wearing one of the more expensive parkas I own. It struck me that keeping warm in even the worst of what winter can throw at us, for me, is simple. I just grab my jacket out of the closet and head outside.
However, for an increasing number of Canadians, precarious living is becoming a serious issue. Homelessness is a reality for the people that places like Hope House and The Royal Mission in Guelph are there to serve. Both provide services like shelter, food, and medical for those people that can’t easily get them.
This is not a new problem, and it’s not something that we don’t know about. However, when I met Amanda Crist from The Mission and Gillian Cornell from the Hope House, I learned about the reality of living on the streets and, at the same time, how to give some real help.
See also: Cold-related emergencies: Staying warm and safe in Canadian winters
I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time, but I think what really motivated me this year was the proliferation of the tents that have sprung up even in a relatively prosperous city like Guelph combined with the bitterly cold later half of the winter.
(Mark Robinson/TWN)
Gillian explains something I hadn’t thought about: the difficulty of doing basic things, “One of the biggest challenges is not everything being in one place. People have to go from place to place depending on what’s open. We are talking about the most basic of needs that people can’t get in one place, and the reason people are in this situation is because of trauma.”
“We’re one of the few places in the world where you have to have four seasons of clothing. We don’t think about how much time it takes for everything we do in a day. We just get up and do it. Unhoused people have the same needs, but they have to go from place to place to do those things, like brushing their teeth and getting food. How can we expect these people to get ahead when they’re using what little energy they have to do the most basic of things?”
Over at The Mission, Amanda lays out some of the more direct problems in the winter: “Number one is frostbite because they’re exposed to the elements all the time. Number two is theft. When you’re outside all the time, it’s bad, but overall, it’s the elements. If there’s no shelter, you’re exposed to the wind, the snow, and the sleet.”
We know the issues; we know the dangers, so what’s the solution?
This is where I thought I knew what to do—donate a bunch of whatever I’m not using anymore from around my house.
(Mark Robinson/TWN)
However, both Amanda and Gillian advise caution with that approach. “What we need at this time of year is winter clothing. I mean, it’s great to go through your closets, but we need things for the season we’re in right now. If you’ve got good quality coats, boots, or gloves that you want to donate, that’s ideal.” Gillian explains, “But if you can’t, even taking some time to volunteer to help out, that makes a big difference in people’s lives.”
What surprised me was that one of the best ways to help out, they both tell me, is simply donating money. Shelter organizations can leverage a dollar far better than I can. For example, they can take advantage of bulk buying of foodstuffs at wholesale places that I can’t go to.
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However, one of the most fundamental and compassionate ways to help is to simply treat the unhoused like people.
“I see people come in here everyday and we offer them a free space, warm coffee, a place to connect, to let them know there are people out there that care and want to know what they’re going through.” Gillian explains.
Amanda has a similar outlook as she talks about The Mission and one room in the shelter in particular, “I call it our big living room. You check in, and then you come down, and there’s a place to get warm food and coffee, but most importantly, a place to connect, share stories, and know that there are people that care.”
“Make yourself known, say ‘Hey, my name is … Are you doing ok? Is there anything I can get you?’ Even a hot coffee or an extra tarp. Just little things. It goes a long way.”
The Hope House in Guelph can be found at https://www.hopehouseguelph.ca/ and The Royal City Mission at https://www.royalcitymission.ca/ while your local shelters can be found with a quick web search.