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Blogs by Patrick Joesph Schnerch
Mental illness, Addiction and Homelessness. 12/29/2008 10:36:56 AM
These issues have been neglected and ignored by society for the past several decades. It is inevetable that our cities are rotting away because of our inaction. We cry foul for what we see in our downtown core, but no one is willing to do anything about it. Right now, the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness is at a standstill. Through my own work, I have experienced a similar struggle obtaining support and participation from service providers, governing bodies and the public.
We are in the midst of a social crisis and no one is willing to do anything about it. It seems that former mayor Alan Lowe and the Honourable Ted Hughes are the only two people in Greater Victoria has balls.
This is a shameful and regrettable mistake we are making. Once we get settled into our comfortable easy chairs, it would take a crowbar to pry us out. Whatever happens outside your four walls have little to no concern to you. This ignorance and neglect is the same as what we practiced for the past several decades. It is inevitable that the social structure of this city will tumble down around us and we only have ourselves to blame.
We complain and cry foul for what is happening downtown, yet we sit on our hands and do nothing about it. This is just idle chatter with no value. If you backed up your words with action, perhaps someone will listen. All that has happened in the last year was bellyaching.
People use the excuse, ‘What can one person do?’ If you add 40,000 more, you can move mountains. One person has a lot of power if they get off their butt and act. There are action committees, charity involvement and letter writing campaigns. There are literally hundreds of things that you can do to make a positive impact against homelessness.
You can host presentations or speaking engagements, raise funds for charity or establish an awareness campaign. People tend not to act if they don’t know anything about the situation. It is our responsibility to learn. Again, it is a test of will that makes all the difference in the world.
My work involves providing awareness about mental illness, addiction and homelessness. I have committed myself to a five year project to produce a book series providing this information. All 1st year profits for each book in the series will be donated to a charity so that they can continue their fight against homelessness.
There has been the formation of an action committee designed to promote and raise funds for our charity of choice. A five year awareness campaign including presentations, fundraising events and media interaction is just some of the things we are doing.
The fire always starts with a spark. One solid idea can perpetuate into a movement capable of almost anything you choose. It is a lame excuse that one person is powerless of doing anything. Great things in our history have happened because of one person’s idea. We lack the motivation and passion just to get out of our chair; it may be too much to expect Greater Victoria to look past their hand.
The city needs us more than ever before, yet we don’t care what happens to it. We expect things to be given to us on a silver platter, heaven forbid if we have to exert ourselves.
