“After several hours, the message became clear: I meant nothing” – 24 Hours of Homelessness
Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2016
Second-year students from the Community and Justice Services program participated in “24 Hours of Homelessness” to raise money for Operation Come Home and to raise awareness of the issues facing people on the street. The 12th annual event was organized by Police & Public Safety Institute professor Cat Baron, who spent her 10th year staying out with the students in Minto Park off Elgin Street. The group raised funds through a Go Fund Me page. Student Alex Cloutier prepared this first-person report.
24 Hours of Homelessness
By Alex Cloutier
Walking up to Minto Park at quarter to two on Friday afternoon, I was filled with a sense of excitement, but also a sense of apprehension. It was a busy area, cars and buses constantly streaming past on the street, pedestrians walking their dogs, stopping in to grab a coffee at Starbucks.
I knew that the crowded streets would be optimal for collecting as much money as possible, but I was also nervous about how all of these people walking past would react to us, a bunch of eager college students with handmade signs, interrupting their conversations and streams of thought to ask, “Would you like to donate in support of homeless youth?”
We were all set to spend the next 24 hours living outside, panhandling to raise money and awareness for Operation Come Home, an employment, education and support centre that offers outreach to homeless and at-risk youth.
The afternoon started out with high energy and enthusiasm, small groups of us stationed at various points along the street, eagerly holding out our collection cups and stopping every person that walked by. People were polite and would respond with a “sorry, not today” or “I don’t have any change.”
Those who did donate would ask us about our cause, emptying their pockets or digging through their bags. More often than not though, pedestrians would just pass by us in silence, looking at their phone or staring straight ahead.
As the hours began to wear on, this enthusiasm and energy began to wane. I started to become tired, my voice hoarse from speaking to so many people. I began to feel the wind through my sweater and suddenly the noise of the city seemed so loud.
Nineteen more hours to go. As my mood began to change, I found myself starting to take things personally.
Every person that walked past avoiding eye contact and ignoring my attempt to speak to them made me feel as if I wasn’t worth a glance or the time of day.
After several hours, the message became clear: I meant nothing.
I began to feel myself wishing that I was back at home, snuggled under a blanket on the couch with my dog and doing homework.
And that was an option for me.
I had a home to go back to, filled with warmth and safety. This is not a reality for the hundreds of homeless youth that we were trying to support.
As the night went on, I found it more and more challenging to remain positive, especially as pedestrians became argumentative and aggressive towards me or my classmates.
What got me through the night was knowing that we were in it together and that we were only experiencing a small taste of what it meant to be homeless.
Soon morning came, and while we were all tired and hungry, we felt renewed.
We were humbled by our experience and by the generosity that we were shown. Many people emptied their wallets, some went to the bank and came back with 50s in their hands.
Countless numbers of people took the time to stop and speak to us, to give us their support and encouragement.
Despite those who gave negative comments, lashed out at us, yelled at us or ignored us, it was the overwhelming positivity and generosity of those who donated and spoke to us that will stick with me.
I am so grateful for having this experience and for being able to give back to a community that desperately needs our help and support.
Photo: Claude Brulé, Vice President Academic, top left, and Cheryl, top right, visited the students during their 24-hour stay in Minto Park.
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