Homeless shelters almost full to capacity already

[monroe]

would love to see a homeless shelter in the upper mission

How about Kelowna Mountain ? Tons of room up there and conveniently, its vacant.

Consiglio might have better luck running a non-prof.

[the truth]

imo- the homeless shelter is a great idea if they only let in the homeless- they tend to keep to themselves and most times tend to be really nice people, that being said these shelters also sadly attract junkies and criminal transients, who go to shelters like that to prey on these people,the whole capri area and mall changes for the worst because of these junkies and criminals during the winter months , because you have these scumbags hanging in large numbers across the street during the winter.they need a better screening process as to who they let in,easy to spot the difference between the 3 groups,

again great idea but they should only take in the homeless not the junkies and criminal transients who are -ALWAYS- up to no good-THATS WHAT THEY DO-JUST like the rest of us who go to work in the morning.

anyone care to comment on this post ???

[maryjane48]

yea , you have no clue

[the truth]

Use the report button. Do not derail the thread.

[Trigger69]

Trigger, ya great, businessmen want the property. They never see the need nor the people. Just the need for more, more, more. I'll bet their bank accounts are bursting. If we had their money we'd throw ours away. And you're concerned they aren't making more, more, more?

Awwww, let's give them all an extra dollar and tell them to let the poor have a place close to services.

This entire statement is short sighted. New businesses means more employment which means less people on social assistance. What's wrong with that? Is it so wrong to want the downtown to be beautiful and not littered with campsites on Leon? Take a ride down there one night around 1130 pm. It's camp central. Now imagine if you owned a business in that area and paid the property tax etc to have homeless ppl camp out on your business door step. Bet you would change your tune rather quick.

[Trigger69]

Good idea! Curlew!

But seriously, to Trigger, every city has stuff going on at night which the general public is safe from in the safety of their own homes.

A lot goes on with white collar crime too, but do we ban those businesses from downtown and force them into Crown land?

Are you comparing the homeless to criminals?? Most are not. Just down and out ppl. Nothing more.

[janalta]

This entire statement is short sighted. New businesses means more employment which means less people on social assistance. What's wrong with that? Is it so wrong to want the downtown to be beautiful and not littered with campsites on Leon? Take a ride down there one night around 1130 pm. It's camp central. Now imagine if you owned a business in that area and paid the property tax etc to have homeless ppl camp out on your business door step. Bet you would change your tune rather quick.

That's kind of the whole point of shelters, isn't it ?
To get people off the streets at night and give them somewhere to sleep ?

[Trigger69]

That's kind of the whole point of shelters, isn't it ?
To get people off the streets at night and give them somewhere to sleep ?

The entire point of a shelter is to be a temporary place for ppl to have a meal and a safe place to sleep. The problem is it's anything but temporary. I have been here for a number of years and see the same ppl in the shelters since I arrived here. Further to that. When the shelter is full the ones that do not get in set up camps right on the sidewalk and in business door ways. Like I said come to Leon at around 1130 tonight and see what I am talking about.

[Ken7]

The entire point of a shelter is to be a temporary place for ppl to have a meal and a safe place to sleep. The problem is it's anything but temporary. I have been here for a number of years and see the same ppl in the shelters since I arrived here. Further to that. When the shelter is full the ones that do not get in set up camps right on the sidewalk and in business door ways. Like I said come to Leon at around 1130 tonight and see what I am talking about.

What I find interesting is this becomes just a way of life for some. You may correct me if I'm wrong but some of these persons, there is no physical or mental issues, they now live the life style if it can be called this as a choice.

I often wonder, what is being done if anything to turn their lives around? My experience with some Government Funded agencies ( ie- Employment Services ) it is just a glorified desk job and of no benefit.

I'd sure like to know, what programs are being funded and is there any sign of success. IF not maybe it is time to shut these programs down as it is only job creation and someone if getting wealthy at the cost of tax payers.

On the other hand, I do realize a percentage of those homeless persons need help, but are they getting it?

[Trigger69]

What I find interesting is this becomes just a way of life for some. You may correct me if I'm wrong but some of these persons, there is no physical or mental issues, they now live the life style if it can be called this as a choice.

I often wonder, what is being done if anything to turn their lives around? My experience with some Government Funded agencies ( ie- Employment Services ) it is just a glorified desk job and of no benefit.

I'd sure like to know, what programs are being funded and is there any sign of success. IF not maybe it is time to shut these programs down as it is only job creation and someone if getting wealthy at the cost of tax payers.

On the other hand, I do realize a percentage of those homeless persons need help, but are they getting it?

I often wonder the same things. That said I do know many of these people and for the most part they are kind considerate ppl but the problem still exists. Down town kelowna is touted as being a tourist attraction with the amazing views, local eateries and the like. If and I only say if this is the case how can one place the GM or keep it in that very same local? Again I am not judging the homeless or want to ship them all off to never never land, but there seems to be a hung contradiction between what the city wants its down town to be like and what they actually have.

[Ken7]

I often wonder the same things. That said I do know many of these people and for the most part they are kind considerate ppl but the problem still exists. Down town kelowna is touted as being a tourist attraction with the amazing views, local eateries and the like. If and I only say if this is the case how can one place the GM or keep it in that very same local? Again I am not judging the homeless or want to ship them all off to never never land, but there seems to be a hung contradiction between what the city wants its down town to be like and what they actually have.

I'm with you, but I have trouble financing ones addiction.

I think with the resources we have today, some might want the help to change their way of life. By helping them by providing every need other then drugs I question are we helping. I feel they need to make positive changes to their handouts and maybe it's time to change who is accepted into these facilities.

We can't just continue these programs without having some positive change. There needs to be some way to measure the success of these programs and if there is none, then why are they still being supported.


Just saw this in the news...


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ontario-p ... eOvapRA4DS

[Ken7]

In my city (Paris, France) there is a homeless man…

Every day he is begging, always at the same place. Despite ‘his situation,’ he is always smiling and says “hello” or “have a good day” even to people who don’t donate to him.

This man has a dog who is as gentle as he is. It never barks or shows its teeth. Many people say this man is dumb, having a dog when he can barely feed himself. Despite being summer in France, mornings are often cold.

One morning, I was walking and I saw him with his dog. He was hugging him tightly. They were very cold.

It was so cold, seeing those two felt like a knife to the heart. I thought about them all day, even though I don’t have a lot of money, I decided to do something.

The next morning I told my boss I was taking the morning off. I took one of my blankets, bought a whole box of food for the dog, and as much food for the man as I could carry.

I bought two coffees and asked if I could sit and talk with him for a few minutes. He agreed.

I asked him why he was there and he asked me why I was speaking to him.

So I told him “Every day I walk to work. And every day everyone around me seems so sad except for you. You are always smiling. You always seem so happy despite your living conditions and every day you warm my heart. Every day I tell myself that even if it’s a bad day and I am not as happy as I want to be, here’s this man living on the street who seems happier than I am despite that he has nothing.”

He stopped me and said “I have something, something that you can’t value. It’s this little boy in my arms (the dog).”

I asked him how he found this dog and he told me:

“One day I asked myself why I was still living if I was just going to be begging for my survival. I had no one to think about, and no one who would miss me if I died. So it was two years ago when I was on the bridge when I was about to commit suicide and then this little guy came, barking at me and even biting my cloths, preventing me from jumping. So I gave him the last cookie I had in my pocket. He was so happy that I cried and decided not to jump. Since that moment, he’s all I have and he is like my child. Sometimes he goes off for a walk and returns with something for both of us to eat (piece of cake, half eaten sandwich etc…). He always wants to sleep next to me.”

I asked him if he had ever found a place at a homeless shelter and he told me something that brought me to tears. “8 months ago, I was offered a place to sleep, something to eat and a warm place to stay. Thing is, dogs were not allowed. So I declined the offer. This guy is all I have left and I would rather die than abandon him. When I thought that I had nothing, this little boy taught me love and gave me something to live for. I can never thank him enough for that. When people give me money, I always buy food for him. I only buy human food when I have everything he needs. I sometimes hear people telling me that I am dumb for having him, and I say to them ‘maybe he’s an animal, but he’s given me more love than any human I have ever met and for that, I will never let him go hungry.’”

Hearing that, I gave him the blanket and the food. He thanked me like no one ever has. He said that thanks to me, Bobby (the dog) would eat well and never be cold again.

And then for reasons I still can’t explain, I gave him a piece of paper, wrote my address on it, tied it to the dog’s collar and said “you don’t have to worry anymore. If someday something bad happens to you, I will take care of Bobby. He will never be alone.”

Then he cried. That day I saw the happiest man in my life and I wish you could have seen the same.

[The-Real-Deal]

In my city (Paris, France) there is a homeless man…

Every day he is begging, always at the same place. Despite ‘his situation,’ he is always smiling and says “hello” or “have a good day” even to people who don’t donate to him.

This man has a dog who is as gentle as he is. It never barks or shows its teeth. Many people say this man is dumb, having a dog when he can barely feed himself. Despite being summer in France, mornings are often cold.

One morning, I was walking and I saw him with his dog. He was hugging him tightly. They were very cold.

It was so cold, seeing those two felt like a knife to the heart. I thought about them all day, even though I don’t have a lot of money, I decided to do something.

The next morning I told my boss I was taking the morning off. I took one of my blankets, bought a whole box of food for the dog, and as much food for the man as I could carry.

I bought two coffees and asked if I could sit and talk with him for a few minutes. He agreed.

I asked him why he was there and he asked me why I was speaking to him.

So I told him “Every day I walk to work. And every day everyone around me seems so sad except for you. You are always smiling. You always seem so happy despite your living conditions and every day you warm my heart. Every day I tell myself that even if it’s a bad day and I am not as happy as I want to be, here’s this man living on the street who seems happier than I am despite that he has nothing.”

He stopped me and said “I have something, something that you can’t value. It’s this little boy in my arms (the dog).”

I asked him how he found this dog and he told me:

“One day I asked myself why I was still living if I was just going to be begging for my survival. I had no one to think about, and no one who would miss me if I died. So it was two years ago when I was on the bridge when I was about to commit suicide and then this little guy came, barking at me and even biting my cloths, preventing me from jumping. So I gave him the last cookie I had in my pocket. He was so happy that I cried and decided not to jump. Since that moment, he’s all I have and he is like my child. Sometimes he goes off for a walk and returns with something for both of us to eat (piece of cake, half eaten sandwich etc…). He always wants to sleep next to me.”

I asked him if he had ever found a place at a homeless shelter and he told me something that brought me to tears. “8 months ago, I was offered a place to sleep, something to eat and a warm place to stay. Thing is, dogs were not allowed. So I declined the offer. This guy is all I have left and I would rather die than abandon him. When I thought that I had nothing, this little boy taught me love and gave me something to live for. I can never thank him enough for that. When people give me money, I always buy food for him. I only buy human food when I have everything he needs. I sometimes hear people telling me that I am dumb for having him, and I say to them ‘maybe he’s an animal, but he’s given me more love than any human I have ever met and for that, I will never let him go hungry.’”

Hearing that, I gave him the blanket and the food. He thanked me like no one ever has. He said that thanks to me, Bobby (the dog) would eat well and never be cold again.

And then for reasons I still can’t explain, I gave him a piece of paper, wrote my address on it, tied it to the dog’s collar and said “you don’t have to worry anymore. If someday something bad happens to you, I will take care of Bobby. He will never be alone.”

Then he cried. That day I saw the happiest man in my life and I wish you could have seen the same.

Hello Ken7:

I have read your posts over the years and you are one of the nicer people on this site?

Thank you for sharing this heart-warming poverty story about Paris, France, perhaps, one of the worst places on Earth for finding any semblance of humanity within it.

Your story is much about a dandylion growing within a concrete sidewalk and succeeding, blossoming, in spite of the concrete.

Sometimes, I feel that Kelowna is no better ? Another concrete sidewalk and I am but a dandylion who has succeeded, in spite of the concrete mentality and even the hostility of many locals.

Yes, Kelowna, B.C. is perhaps, next to Paris, France, the worst place in the world for acknowledging the existence of the poor and or even the impoverished class.

Having lived here for 20 years, it is one of the worst places for finding empathy, as well, as many of the professional counsellors, including the churches and the ministers, are selfish and arrogant.

I honestly think that the main goal of counsellors and pastors is, not to help you. but to f*ck up your life, and then, they get the credit for saving your life, so you better worship ME, since I, the counsellor, am your new GOD ?

When I first arrived here in Kelowna, back in the summer of 1995. I noticed a disproportionate amount of street people for a city of just 75,000 people. This was not last year, but 20 years ago !

Even though I am a very hardworking and diligent person who had a substantial amount of prior work experience in retail and sales, running several small business and also, in media, I found it impossible to find work doing anything.

I remember the humiliation of going with my then pregnant wife to the Ministry of Social Development office on Leon Avenue and there was a lineup of over 60 people just to get into the front lobby of the MSD. Yes, this was back in 1995, so the problem of a lack of sustainable work and not enough jobs was an issue for this city, even 20 years ago !

Regarding people who are on welfare or street types who refuse to get off the system, it is very easy to judge others when you have never been on welfare or social assistance, yourself.

I am self sustaining and a successful businessman who has brought people from the poverty class into the middle class ?

The main problem is that poverty is a BUSINESS, much like all other businesses in this town ?

It is a multi-million dollar industry, in which thousands of local Canadians are employed, including FAW's, career counsellors, church ministers, street legal aid workers, lawyers, cops, security guards, debt collectors, judges, deputy sheriffs and jail house workers.

The Kelowna Food bank is a multi-million dollar business ! Former executive director Vonnie Lavers was said to make over $100,000 a year. That's an exceptionally well paid position in the "poverty business," but legal aid lawyers in this town make much more !

So, guess what ? Waive a magic wand and poof, no more poverty in Kelowna and guess what will happen. Every welfare employee, church, deputy sheriff and street worker would be forced to apply for welfare, themselves?

How ironic would that be !

The Ministry of Social Development would be overwhelmed, of course. But, mark my words that poverty is here to stay in the Okanagan, so if you work in the poverty business, you have a long and assured future, plus a big fat pension when it's time to retire !

The MSD has severely cut back staff in the last five years, as with all areas of the government. Therefore, people are losing their homes and rentals, due to these cutbacks in staff. The welfare rates have not really gone up to keep up with the cost of living here.

So, there is really no incentive to keep a job in the Okanagan, since the Ministry does not care whether you lose your home or not and employers tend to be both cheap and exploitative. Most paychecks are heavily taxed, so what little is left, goes back to the government or your debts.

Meanwhile, there is a disturbing trend here in the Okanagan and it involves people who come to Kelowna merely to con or milk the community of its money.

Kelowna has attracted the criminal element; ie people trying to screw over the public, with get rich quick schemes and the like. There is a ridiculous amount of real estate agents, per capita, here, and many of them are greedy people wanting to make a quick buck. Lawyers, Doctors, and health care providers are no better!

Finally, there are the equally greedy landlords who own property in this town. The rents are just too bloody unaffordable in this town and many new businesses are destined to fail, since the commercial overhead is about $ 50,000 dollars a year, even for a hole in the wall business ?

Throw in telephone and internet companies charging honest people the highest rates in the industrialized world and there is a good reason why people are living on the streets, here.

The cost of living is disgraceful !

Many people have given up hope, here, and when hope turns to despair, the gospel mission is often the last resort for some of them

Please support your local Gospel Mission, because one day, it could be you applying for a room for the night !


-TRD







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