Charity, Poverty, and Bandages

On April 13, I was invited to speak at a meeting of the West End Interfaith Coalition on Poverty (Weicop). Weicop is comprised of representatives from 12 churches of different denominations in the west end seeking to find solutions to issues of poverty and homelessness in the area.

I was asked to speak as a representative of the Boyle Street and McCauley area, through my work with Boyle McCauley News. There are issues concerning poverty and homelessness emerging in the Stony Plain Road area that are comparable to the inner city. And, as someone who walks between the worlds of downtown and the west end (my family home is not far from Stony Plain Road, I shop in that area often, and I used to edit another community newspaper in that area), the members of Weicop thought I would have some ideas about how to deal with thee situations effectively as citizens and with their churches.

In particular, I spoke of the need to educate and inform people about the inner city, to see the many wonderful events, attractions, and people who live here, as opposed to the way the area is often portrayed, focusing on crime, panhandlers, and negative stereotypes. By encouraging people to visit the area and spend time there, these perceptions and fears can be changed.

I was also asked about my recent work with Action for Healthy Communities as a Community Animator in McCauley, as well as the initiatives of the McCauley Connects Coffeehouse and Church Street Fair that were developed as a result.

The people at Weicop were dedicated, concerned, and compassionate Edmontonians who truly care about what is going on in their community. Many of them support organizations that deal with poverty and housing issues financially and with resources such as donating clothing or bringing in groups from their churches and preparing meals. These are all important actions that provide immediate relief to those suffering on the streets.

However, alone these actions are not enough. I implored them to go further and investigate the underlying reasons why social problems are becoming more prevalent in their area, as money alone cannot solve the issues.

Here is exactly what I said. “Giving money to a problem is a Band-Aid. You’ve got to look at the underlying causes as to why it is happening, and deal with it on that level,” she said. “Band-Aids stop the bleeding, but they don’t heal the wound. Do what you can as an individual, as a church, and as a city to deal with these causes.”

The bottom line is, when it comes to charity, give not only of your money and resources, but give of yourselves. Strive to find those underlying social causes to whatever issue you are confronting, and engage in activism to make it better. It isn't easy, but it is the only way to truly catalyse change.

A Weekend of Giving: Shine Youth Clinic & Homeless Connect

I had another busy weekend. On Saturday, I gave two hours of my time performing with Music is a Weapon as part of the organization's Busk for a Cause. The cause this time around was the Shine Youth Clinic. The clinic operates on Saturdays out of the Boyle McCauley Health Centre and provides services free of charge to underserved youth up to the age of 25. On the corner of 104 street and Whyte Avenue I belted out some songs and even did a little bit of juggling. This was my first time busking and I have a lot more respect now for people who do this for a living. Over $1000 was raised for the clinic! Since I was busy performing, I was not able to take photos. Good thing that @sirthinks showed up and took some shots.

The first ever Edmonton Media Camp was also held on Saturday. It was an "un-conference" bringing together people from the worlds of traditional and new media, including journalists, PR people, and bloggers/social media folks. I was only able to make it to the last few discussion sessions, but it was great seeing some old friends and finally meeting a few people in person from Twitter and Facebook. Here are a few pictures I managed to grab.

Sunday was Mother's Day, but it was also Edmonton's fourth Homeless Connect event. Homeless Connect is held at the Shaw Conference Centre and brings free services, support, and supplies to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. A lot of volunteer power goes into making the event happen, and although I was not able to volunteer on the day of, I did help with some preparations beforehand like sorting coats and supplies for the care packages given to all of the guests who attended. More than 1200 guests visited the event and I was able to come down to the Shaw for a while to take some pictures. There is going to be another Homeless Connect event this October - please consider volunteering.

From Global to Local - Rethinking My Activism

I am someone who has been interested in the subjects of peace and human rights for as long as I have been able to think as an independent person. My life changed dramatically a few years ago when I decided to take concrete actions and stand up for my beliefs by becoming an organizer in the local activist scene. I have helped to organize, spoken at, and sang at countless events and demonstrations. I donate my skills as a website designer, photographer, and videographer - in the process, I have created an archive of Edmonton's activist scene. Regardless of where one falls on the political spectrum, this is part of the city's history.

Social media is also central to my activist life - in fact, last year I presented on social media for activists at Public Interest Alberta's annual advocacy conference. In fact, I recently created the Twitter account @yegactivist specifically for announcements about activist events.

While peace marches are fun and we all need to do our part to save the environment, a lot of the time there aren't tangible results. At least, not immediately. This has frustrated and burned out many an activist, who sees their efforts as futile. I am not one of these people, but at the same time I have also discovered that dealing with these large issues on a smaller, community-focused level is equally important.

Take, for example, poverty. Poverty is a serious issue, both worldwide and here at home. In December, I volunteered with the Edmonton Food Bank's Stuff-a-Bus campaign. Did we solve the issue of people not having enough to eat? No. But I am willing to bet that many families in Edmonton were able to have a nutritious meal thanks to the donations of money and food we collected.

In reflecting on my activism, I realize that community is a big part of what I do both professionally and personally. I've been involved with both of the city's street newspapers, helping people in poverty make money and develop skills. My work at Boyle McCauley News has made me into an advocate for the inner city. BMC News is so much more than a community newspaper - it is a community project with volunteers taking part in just about every aspect of the paper's existence, from operations to content to delivery. I joined the McCauley Community League

Most recently, I decided to get involved in the Capital City Clean Up as a block captain. I adopted the block upon which the Boyle McCauley News office resides and have gathered up enough volunteers to keep the block clean from May to September. Will this solve the world's environmental woes? No, but it will sure be great not to have litter flying around.

Since I absolutely cannot keep a guitar out of my hands, I had to find a way to set local social justice to music. And I found it. I've gotten involved with an organization called Music is a Weapon that raises both awareness and funds for different causes, locally and globally. I look forward to busking on Whyte Avenue, taking part in drum circles, and maybe even juggling my devil sticks in time to the rhythm of social justice.

Although I am hardly what one could consider affluent, I try to put my money where my mouth is, and joined the Edmonton Social Planning Council and Friends of Medicare while donating what I can to local charitable organizations such as the Youth Emergency Shelter and Habitat for Humanity. In fact, one of my goals is to take part in a Habitat for Humanity house build. While giving money is important, giving of my time lets me feel like I am making more of a difference.

I will continue to take part in events that deal with peace, the environment, and human rights. These are global issues that continually create a need to raise our voices to educate others either as they pass by on the street or hear about it in the media, and hopefully influence public policy. However, I will also be making extra efforts towards community and social justice in Edmonton. While I agree with those in my circle of activist friends who believe we need to be looking at the root causes of injustice, war, and poverty and trying to deal with those issues from the ground up, I have to disagree when local efforts are dismissed as being band-aids to larger problems. After all, a band-aid is supposed to help stop the bleeding and I see enough bloodshed around me to carry a first-aid kit at all times.

Stuffing A Bus

On Saturday, I took part in a direct action. Not the kind with which I am usually involved. I donned a green vest and helped out with the Edmonton Food Bank's annual Stuff-a-Bus event. ETS buses were located at various Save-Ons across the city. My location was at The Hamptons, way our in the west end.

Our job was pretty straightforward. We stood in the Save-On lobby and encouraged people to donate food or money to the Food Bank. Many people bought five dollar hampers for sale, and then loaded them onto the bus (or handed them to the perky ETS volunteer to do). The children really enjoyed coming on to the bus. By the end of the afternoon, the bus was indeed quite stuffed.

As an activist, I always stay focused on the reasons why people go hungry. If we don't work on the underlying causes, then food banks and soup kitchens and shelters are just band-aid solutions to a greater societal problem. At the same time, we have to help those in immediate need. This is why volunteering with a mainstream charitable organization like the Edmonton Food Bank is so important. There is tangible work done for those who need it most.

Overall, the event collected 30,683 kilograms of food, up from 20,000 last year.

Here is a photo set from the event.