Why is this Issue Important to me
I moved to Vancouver just over 3 years ago with no idea about the homeless situation in Vancouver. Once I moved here I quickly realized how serious an issue this was and after I did a project in it in my first semester at SFU I wanted to raise awareness about the issue.
One thing that always makes me want to help more is taking a drive through the downtown east side, its shocking to me that we still have people in Canada that live in conditions such as these. Knowing nurses who have worked in the downtown east side I have heard many stories of how low these standards of living are. This also has enabled me to understand that many people that have been forced to live in this area are mentally ill. We consider Canada to have an advanced medical care system yet we allow these people to be forced into these living conditions. This is another area of homelessness in Vancouver that has to be addressed.
May 31, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Hey there, I agree with you regarding the shocking feeling while driving down streets like E. Hastings. It truly is amazing to see that there are people still living in those conditions right here in Canada. Unfortunately, I think that the reason these people are not recieving the help they deserve is because most people that pass by are too disgusted or scared by the homeless people to consider helping them. I think that for them to get help, society as a whole have to accept that homeless people are still human and was once like us.
June 1, 2009 at 10:03 am
Yes and this is exactly why discussing it just like this and reading articles like these ones are so important. As I have already talked about in other comments the more people know about the situations the better they are able to understand why these people are here. The worst part of it is the fact many of them are mentally ill. This is a fact that is not as well know and I think needs to have more media coverage so that people can be aware of it.
June 15, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I definitely think that improper health care is an issue here. As I was growing up I always considered myself to be priviledged to be living with such a health care system; little did I know though how many people do not and cannot have access to the benefits Canada offers. I think that by helping the mentally ill, we could significantly decrease the number of people who are living on the streets, as well as the rate of crime and drug addiction.
June 15, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Yes and its crucial we go about offering the right type of help for these people. The fact the down town Eastside has so many mentally ill people is one of the areas lesser know facts. The more awareness we raise about it the better!