Day Thirty: Looking at the World with New Eyes & an Empty Stomach!

There are some experiences in life that make us look at the world in a different way. Often these moments come to us spontaneously and unplanned. Perhaps in the form of a chance meeting with a stranger, an image in a photograph or movie, the haunting words of a story or song. Other times it is an intentional experience; a mission trip, helping out at a soup kitchen, an inspiring sermon. No matter how we experience these moments it opens our eyes wider to the world and we are able to "see" things we haven't seen before and to act with compassion.

A "Hunger Banquet" is one of those intentional moments that have moved me. I haven't actually participated in a formal Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Oxfam.ca or actfast.oxfamamerica.org. The Hunger Banquet is set up to reflect in inequities of the world. Nearly 1 billion people go hungry even though there is enough food produced world-wide to feed everyone. At the Hunger Banquet the guests are randomly divided into three groups: a high income group (15%) who eat a delicious and nutritious meal, a middle income group (25%) who eat a simple meal of beans, rice and water, and a low income group (60%) who wait in line for a meager bit of rice and water. An MC then leads the group in some discussion about what life is like for each of the groups and a group discussion follows allowing guests to reflect on their experience.

I've experienced my own version of a hunger banquet. I've staged a similar experience for my students and VBS groups. As the kids enter the space I divide them into three groups- one sits on nice comfortable chairs, one on benches, and another on the floor, many "No fairs" are voiced. I proceed to tell the groups about the approximate world income groups that they represent and areas in the world that might fit into those groups. Then I take various topics: food, water, medical care, transportation, education and give the kids pictures or symbols that reflect the realities for the various groups. For example: For food and water, I give each child in the first group a box of cereal, a juice box and some plastic fruit & veggies, I give the kids in the second group one box of cereal and a jug of water with a few cups, and in the third group I give them some leftover crackers and a bottle of dirty water. I then explain a little bit about the quality of nutrition and how many meals each group would get each day and how they might find their water. For education, I give out notebooks, a textbook and pencils to each child in the first group, a pencil to each child in the second group, and the kids in the third group get a few pencils to share. I then give out pretend money- $1000 to each kid in the first group, $10 to each person in the second group, and loonies to a only couple of the kids in the third group to represent future earning potential.

At the end of the "banquet" the kids in the first group have so many things that their laps are overflowing and many of their items are sitting on the floor around them. Each time I do this activity it is a visual reminder to me of just how much I have. Too much. A reminder of the inequity that exists in the world. Each time, I have a renewed sense of gratitude and eyes that are open a little wider looking for ways to share the bounty of my banquet.

Day Twenty One: Walking A Mile Without Shoes!

I love shoes! Looking in our mud room & in my closet is a reminder of how blessed I am to have multiple pairs of shoes. I also love a good deal.

I've recently discovered eco-shoes. All too often I've bought shoes that are a "great deal" only to bring them home and have them turn out to be uncomfortable or fall apart after merely a season of use. Shoes that can stand up to use, are made in an socially & environmentally responsible way and are comfortable & stylish to boot (pun intended) are my new holy grail!

(Today, I was looking at the mall for summer sandals for my girls & trying to find brands that fit the eco-criteria & my budget. No luck on the budget end. So I came home & started surfing the web. I came across TinySoles.com. They had lots of sustainable brands at a reasonable price, free shipping to Canada and amazing customer service! Kudos to you Tiny Soles!)

I've only recently heard of TOMS shoes. They take environmentally & socially responsible cobbling to a new level. Tomsshoes.ca has a "One for One" policy. For every pair of shoes sold they will donate a pair to a child in need. As of September 2010, TOMS has given away 1 million pairs of shoes! *My personal favs are the wedges & canvas, cord or glitter classics.

One pair of shoes can make a world of difference in the life of a needy child:

1) On the most basic level, they protect the feet from painful cuts and bruises & infection.

2) They prevent diseases from entering the body through bare feet . Shoes = health

3) Children often need shoes to attend school. Shoes = an education = a future

TOMS is hosting "One Day Without Shoes" on Tuesday, April 5th! onedaywithoutshoes.com The website has some great info about how TOMS does their shoe give aways & more details about the difference a pair of shoes can make. No shoes in BC in early April? But it's likely to be cold and wet? What if I step on something? What will people think? Then again, that's likely the point.

Day Twenty: (The Half-Way Point!) Chalk Another One In the Socialist Column!

So once again, I have not posted on a day I was supposed to. I've been down with a stomach bug for 4 days! It seems unfair since my girls both had it for 12 hours (kept me up at night then woke up raring to go the next morning!) The journey through lent inevitably leads us to Grace. We may work hard & have the best intentions but we always seem to come up short. Lately, I've been considering how fortunate my children are. They didn't do anything to deserve to be born into a family with a roof over their head in a wealthy country full of opportunities for them. When I was pregnant with my first daughter we traveled to Jamaica for a family holiday. This was actually my second trip to Jamaica, I had visited once before on a cross-cultural/Missions trip in high school. On my first trip, we were involved in a building project & interacting with the people in a small town tucked away in the hills. I was struck by how generous and lively the Jamaican people were and how lavish my life back home seemed. On my return trip to Jamaica I became one of the tourists, living lavishly, while people in the hills just a stone's throw away lived without power, working hard (if they could get a job) and living on simple provisions. As we drove through the hillsides on a minibus tour, I saw Jamaica through new eyes. The eyes of a soon-to-be mother. I noticed the women, especially those who were pregnant or with babes in arms. Young, malnourished, the burden of running a household and bringing in what money they could. I remember considering my unborn child & contrasting the life she would have with the destiny of those young children. They did not get a choice who their parents would be, where they would live, the health & nutritional challenges they would have, the many other opportunities they wouldn't get. There is such inequity in the world. Many anti-poverty groups have demonstrated that there is enough money and food globally that no one needs to live in poverty. (Do I hear echoes of socialism?) In September 2000, the 189 countries of the United Nations unanimously agreed to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty,” specifically hunger and the “major diseases that afflict humanity.” At Poverty.com it outlines how 22 of the world's most developed countries have pledged to give 0.7% of their national income in international aid (or $195 billion a year) to end poverty worldwide. So far, only 5 countries have achieved this goal. Canada is way down on the list, not even having a pledge to reach the 0.7% goal (or 70 cents for every $100). The 2009 stats show that Canada only contributes 0.3% (or a pathetic 30 cents for every $100). Given that it's election time, it is an opportunity for Canadians to make international aid an issue. Talk to your local candidates and find out who supports increased international aid. We didn't get to choose our fortunate circumstances, but we can choose to share what we have and have a say in who makes those decisions on a national level.

Day Eleven: The Tragedy of the Women of the DTES

A notorious association with the DTES is the case of serial killer, Willie Pickton. He was convicted of killing 6 women (who were last seen on the DTES) & had another 20 charges (of which there was DNA evidence) & there are another 14 missing women are suspected to have fallen victim to Pickton.

It is not just the number of victims that is shocking, it is the lack of action by police that incites public outrage. Starting in 1995 there were women, most known prostitutes & drug addicts, suddenly missing from the DTES. The police did not take the missing persons reports seriously since many DTES residents are transient and often these "missing persons" would turn up in other cities or under a different name. Yet, during the years that Pickton was preying on women in the DTES, the residents knew that something much more sinister was at work, and still their cries (and the pleas of family members) fell on deaf ears.

Throughout the trial of Pickton many people made a lot of noise and raised awareness of the outright prejudice that exists towards prostitutes and drug addicts on the DTES. These women deserve safety and protection as much as any female lawyer who lives in an upscale condo in Yaletown.

Fast-forward to September 2010. A young woman fell to her death from a window on Hastings Street. Ashley's death is suspicious and once again, incited the outrage of her family, friends and the DTES community regarding violence towards women. It was the mobilization of the community that inspired the Vancouver Police to launch "Sister Watch". (www.vancouver.ca/police/organization/investigation/investigative-services/major-crime/sister-watch.html )
Sister Watch is a phone line staffed by specially trained civilian women. Sister Watch also has a speaker's bureau and conducts Town Hall meetings on the DTES. Sister Watch cleverly marketed themselves to the women on the DTES by having their hotline number printed on lighters. Lighters on the DTES are a hot commodity and so commonplace that having one (even with the Sister Watch contact information on it) does not rouse suspicion, unlike a business card. To date the Sister Watch hotline has been the source of many tips that led to the arrest of violent and vindictive drug dealers who specifically targeted women on the DTES. Kudos to the VPD for putting resources of time, energy and finances towards the DTES. And for the many officers who act with compassion for society's most vulnerable.

Sister Watch- hope from voices lost, and for voices who may only be able to whisper.

* It is worth noting that the home page of the VPD has very visible links to missing persons' files and information about their homeless outreach on the DTES. www.vpd.ca

Day Ten: Wealth That Goes Beyond A Bank Account

Tonight I'm putting in another late night post. As I sit here amid gift ribbons, balloons and tulle (it was a princess party) in the aftermath of my 4 year old's birthday party I am filled, once again, with immense gratitude.

We definitely don't live an extravagant life but we are wealthy. Our car is not new, our house desperately needs re-painting & our home is simple, none of the outward signs of being rich. However, we were blessed this evening to have a house full of aunts, uncles, little cousins running amok, Grandparents, even Great-Grandparents to celebrate the full-of-life child that entered our lives 4 years ago. My totally extroverted daughter was thrilled to have so many people around her & to whack at a pinata, laugh at a puppet show & run around on a dragon egg hunt. For her, this was the best day of her life! For me, it was a reminder of the riches we have in family, delicious food (thanks to my husband, the gourmand) & fun times shared.

With respect to Poverty, "poor" can go well beyond the borders of food, shelter and access to health, education and security. Poverty can affect every one of us no matter our financial position. It is the moments in life that fill us with joy and gratitude that make us truly rich!

Day Nine: Trading An ipod For a Soup Ladle

Today has been a busy day. I've been looking after 4 little girls under 4, preparing for a 4th birthday party for 25-ish family members at our house- cleaning, making princess tiaras, hiding dragon eggs, baking a "castle" cake & finally writing a blog post. I have to admit that right now, I feel more like crashing into my cozy bed than sitting at the laptop writing today's post. However, I am reminded that this is what Lent is about- persevering when it would be easier to give up. So with the help of some chocolate pomegranate candies, I'll get on with my promised story about teens on the Downtown Eastside.

In March of 2009 a group of 15 nervous and excited teens (along with 3 adults) left behind their ipods, internet and arrived on the DTES for a five-day missions trip. The teens, Grade 10 students from Lions Gate Christian Academy, had been preparing for their DTES experience for months; fundraising to cover their costs, attending information evenings & hearing from guest speakers. They were ready, but nothing could prepare them for the range of emotions and vivid images they were about to be confronted with.

Working with "Youth With A Mission" the five days unfolded like this:
DAY ONE: DTES Scavenger Hunt to familiarize the students with the area. For many students it was their first time actually walking around the Main and Hastings neighbourhood. In the evening, the students attended a presentation about human trafficking and prostitution in Vancouver. "This was a very eye-opening and emotional experience." says my former teaching partner and amazing friend, Amy Wilson, the teacher who coordinated the trip. "Emotions ran high from anger to frustration. The students learned about the various organizations working to put an end to trafficking and discovered that, as long as there is breath, there is hope." This phrase would be a theme running through their experiences over the next few days.

DAY TWO: Chili Wagon Day! The students got to roll up their sleeves and help on the front-line. They chopped veggies, stirred chili and baked banana bread along-side former DTES residents & Gordie who started the "Chili Wagon". www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV-_1XH_int4 After 9 hours of kitchen work, the students took the hot meal to Britannia Park to share with 50+ people. They were able to chat with many Chili Wagon "regulars" & heard their life stories.

DAY THREE: The students toured some of the temples and worship sites of various religions to see how they care for the community & learn more about the diversity of the city.

DAY FOUR: The students were asked to pose as a homeless teen at various locations around Vancouver (Gastown, Granville Street, Robson Street). So they just sat, and sat, on the sidewalk and experienced what it might be like to be homeless. That evening's debriefing session went late. The teens had so much to say, "People didn't want to look me in the eye when they walked by!" "Someone even crossed the street and then crossed back, once they had passed by me." "Someone gave me a lunch- sushi!"

DAY FIVE: Students volunteered at the Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster. "What impressed me the most about my students was their respect for every individual and their desire to help out- serving food, handing out clothing, sweeping floors, even cleaning toilets," said Amy.

When the students returned to school they spoke about their experiences at an assembly. "So many parents told me that their teen would not stop talking about their experiences," Amy remarked. "They were constantly reminded that; wherever there is breath, there is hope." Not just for the people of the DTES, but for this generation of teens. This particular group is forever changed by their time on the DTES & will forever be conscious of their actions in offering hope in seemingly hopeless circumstances.

Thanks Amy (and the students) who shared this story.

Day Eight: Knitting for the Downtown Eastside

Today my post is short and sweet- while surfing some sites I came across this great story about a group of knitting Grannies who used their hobby to benefit women and children on the Downtown Eastside! http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Afternoon_Gathering_Turns_into_Act_of_Giving/202

Coming Up Tomorrow:
Teens giving up ipods, hangin' with friends & the comforts of home to experience the Downtown Eastside!

Day Seven: Is Access to Technology a Luxury or a Necessity?

Is access to technology a luxury or a necessity? That's the question Community Voice Mail (a free voicemail service) poses.

How many of us would feel out of sorts if we didn't have a phone? Our daily facebook updates? The internet to look-up the answer to a random musing? Now imagine what it is like for those who are homeless. How would a potential employer contact you for an interview? How would the doctor let you know the results of your tests? How could family members let you know they were thinking of you? Life without a phone line can be a a life sentence keeping you imprisoned on the street.

Community Voice Mail was started in Seattle in 1992. A company donated 145 voicemail lines to homeless job-seekers and a mere 2 months later, 70% of them had jobs! (cvm.org )CVM started in Vancouver in February 2010 and is managed by Vancouver Lu'ma Native Housing Society. Within 5 minutes (and the help a staff person and a script to help with a professional message) anyone can have their own voicemail.

A benefit of CVM is that it allows the system manager to issue broadcast messages. These messages can alert users of local events, weather alerts, shelter information or even "bad john" warnings. Prior to CVM folks relied on a message board at Carnegie Hall to get replies from job interviews, messages from family or calls from their doctor's office. The Downtown Eastside Residents community website (dtes.ca) offers a personal story from Chrystal, under the "Recent News Postings".


Sometimes it's the simplest ideas that have the greatest impact!

Day Six: Homeless In My Backyard!

No, I'm not getting out the tent and sleeping bags to camp out in the yard, but I am thinking about how NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) and poverty are related. I've been writing about poverty, specifically in Canada and poverty affecting children. But it seems like the topic would be incomplete if I didn't take a look at the notorious face of poverty- Vancouver's downtown eastside.

We are all aware of the issue of poverty however, too often, it remains hidden (i.e. the "working poor" who live around us) or it is swept into a corner of the city and we hope it won't come creeping out so we have to face it. The downtown eastside has been called "Canada's poorest postal code" and is littered with (pun intended) homelessness, drug-use, alcoholism, the sex-trade, violence and crime- the very things we don't want in our proverbial backyards. Yet anyone who has lived in or visited Metro-Vancouver in the past 5 years has seen these "things" creeping into other areas of the city. Living in New Westminster for 10 years certainly gave me a glimpse into this side of poverty. When my youngest daughter was a baby we would go for long walks in the Columbia Street neighbourhood. This area, adjacent to the skytrain, was a gathering place for transient people. Ironically, pushing a stroller with a cute infant made me more approachable and the "locals" often initiated a conversation with me (or more often than not, the baby). They would then tell me about their children who they hadn't seen in years, a family member that had died and they didn't get to see them, or a story about travelling across the country looking for a job. I was usually at a loss for words, I often could only listen and mumble a "have a nice day." A father. A sister. A brother. A son. People. Not just a an alcoholic or a homeless person. Real people who deserve compassion and not judgement or ignored.

Addictions related poverty issues are complex. But extending compassion to people who find themselves dealing with those situations shouldn't be. When I think of hope for the downtown eastside I think of Union Gospel Mission & First United.

Union Gospel Mission has been on the downtown eastside since 1940! (Sadly, it's been needed for 70 years!) I usually think of the meal programs & emergency shelter but UGM offers a drug and alcohol recovery program, sending kids to camp program, back to school event (which gives kids school supplies), a mobile mission van which takes food, blankets, basic medical supplies out to the alleys, and more. Check the website: ugm.ca An innovative event organized by UGM is the November Eastside Cultural Crawl with artwork created by professionals and UGM clients.

First United Church has been on the site since 1889 and has a strong history of helping the community. They offer meal programs, shelter and strive to be an inclusive community. "A community at the margins- a community without margins". firstunited.ca

Day Five: Full Day Kindergarten? A Step Towards Ending the Cycle of Poverty or a Step Towards Fully Subsidized Daycare?

Most days with a (nearly) 4 year-old girl can be a struggle. Add in a 2 year-old sister & I have to admit that I look forward to full-day kindergarten. I know that once that moment arrives I will look back fondly on the days of going a daytrip on a whim, sleeping in, playing outside without being bound to a school schedule. I may be opening a can of worms by entering into the full-day kindergarten "debate", but a sidebar link on a website got me thinking about the connection full-day kindergarten plays in reducing poverty.

In doing some further reading and looking at some statistics, Canada is missing the mark in providing (er, forking out the $ for) quality early childhood programs. Specifically, the Unicef Innocenti Report Card 8 looks at early childhood and childcare in 25 of the richest countries (unicef.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=2250 *look at the summary chart 1/2 way down the page & check out Report Card 7 which looks specifically at child well-being including poverty & education) and examines Canada's shameful ranking in detail. Canada is one of the most affluent countries (based on GDP), yet spends only 0.2% of the GDP on programs for 0-6 years. The countries who rank higher on the report card offer much more progressive childcare and education programs and have spending rates closer to 2% [of their GDP]. So what do all these numbers mean with regards to full-day kindergarten (FDK)?

Study after study conclude that a developmentally appropriate FDK offers many benefits for all students. Some of these benefits include; higher academic scores (primarily between K and Gr.3), improved social skills and early intervention for students with behavioural challenges and learning disabilities. Without a doubt, FDK provides the most benefit for children from low-income families. Some direct benefits that fight poverty include:
- allowing parents to work full-time, reducing the amount paid for childcare (reducing on average ~$500/month based on quality childcare) = more money for necessities
- allowing parents to attend school (upgrade their education & skills)= potentially higher family income
- higher levels of academic and social success = reduced drop out rates = more high school graduates
- more children in safe, supervised spaces with developmentally appropriate, educationally enriching activities and potential access to meal programs and social service connections

If those benefits aren't compelling enough, then the simple financial facts may say it all. In Canada's Chief Public Health Officer's report (2008) he states that, for every $1 spent on a child's well-being now it saves the equivalent of $3-$9 in health, criminal and social assistance costs later on. How can our government not fund full-day kindergarten?

In our house the perspective on FDK is a little skewed, since my husband is a kindergarten teacher (as well as my mother-in-law & sister-in-law) & I worked for 8 years as an elementary school teacher. I don't want to come across as anti-family. I can hardly be accused of that position since I've been fortunate to choose to be a stay-at-home parent for the majority of the last 4 years. I also currently run a LNR childcare "business" (I have 2 girls I provide daycare for on a part-time basis) registered with the local Childcare Resource and Referral (CCRR) agency. So I'm aware of the desperate need for quality childcare spaces.

Jason's front-line experience in FDK speaks volumes. This year, he feels that he is able to create a developmentally appropriate program that gives the time to allow the students to get fully engaged in the activities and learn at their own pace. He doesn't feel like he needs to rush through the curriculum and take "shortcuts" that may not be child-centered. The students are able to interact with their peers and have a positive school experience.


So where's the hope and inspiration in today's post? Kudos to the BC government for taking the risk on FDK and thank you to Mr.Hodgins (aka The Shape Sheriff) who had a posse of 19 five and six year old kindergarten deputies creating "Wanted" posters for 3-D objects and hunting them down all over their classroom. Thank you to all teachers for working so hard to create positive school experiences for your students. You may never know what an impact you have on their lives!

Day Four: So Call Me a Socialist!

I'm digging out my Birkenstocks and heading for the local commune... well, not exactly. Not yet.

This issue of poverty has got my head spinning & my mind racing with ideas. I came across the idea of a Robin Hood Tax in the UK. This would be a 0.05% tax on financial transactions (big banks, investors). robinhoodtax.org Taking from the rich to help the poor. Sounds reasonable to me. Another idea that intrigues me is the: 25 in 5 Campaign. 25in5.ca (this website focuses on the efforts in Ontario but is based on similar campaigns in Europe). Like the names says, it aims to reduce the rate of poverty by 25% in 5 years (and by 50% in 10 years!). The provincial government is targeted as the method to make it happen- hence, making a social agenda a priority & encouraging a strong social safety net (i.e. affordable housing, childcare- think Quebec, raising the minimum wage, ensuring access to medical and dental services). So, do I need to sign up as a member of a socialist party to get on board?

Not necessarily, here are some ideas from John Madeley (a UK writer associated with "Make Poverty History") to fight poverty locally and worldwide:
1) Write to your leaders. By writing to MPs, MLAs, mayors, etc. it helps raise the profile of poverty. On a national level, he advocates writing about extending debt relief to developing nations & giving more aid to developing nations.
2) Tackle climate change: the UN Food and Agriculture Committee is concerned about food output and the affect recent floods and severe weather have had on global food production (spelling it out- less food= higher food costs= less "nourishing" food for those in poverty). Madeley suggests many eco-friendly actions that fight climate change and ultimately, poverty.
3) Use your purchasing power: make the choice to purchase fair trade items ( & look beyond coffee!)
4) Spread the word: Madeley even encourages the reader to become a "media guerrilla" by writing to local newspapers, organizing events that attract media attention, and generally raising awareness of poverty locally & worldwide.

So maybe I'm not a socialist, just a social-media guerrilla.

Day Two: Oak Avenue Clothes Closet

Day Two: As I'm on a journey, of sorts, I'll just follow where this inevitably winding & bumpy road might lead. Today the road seems to be leading me to the intersection of Poverty & Children.

In 1994 the Canadian Government pledged to end child poverty by 2000. Today, 12% of Canadian children still live in poverty- that's 1 in 9- more than 1,000,000 Canadian kids! (source: Canadian Children's Rights Council) That fact astounds me! When I think of how I live (a family of 4, making sacrifices to get by on one income) we still have "enough". When I look at our average-sized closets packed to the brim, our mudroom overflowing with multiple shoes & jackets, hats & mitts for each member of the family, I know we live comfortably.

Although my children are smaller than average (we got 3 years out of one winter jacket between the two girls), we still have piles of children's clothing that is in really good condition. I was really happy to find out about the Oak Avenue Clothes Closet. The Clothes Closet offers FREE clothes for children from infancy to age 12! Did I mention that the clothes are given to children for FREE? What an amazing gift to those families! The Clothes Closet is located in North Surrey. www.oanh.ca/clothescloset.html

If you know of other free "clothes closet" programs please leave your comments!