Temperatures around these parts are, unfortunately, starting to drop. Winter is just around the corner. The Farmers’ Almanac’s winter forecast for the Prairies is calling for bone-chilling cold and a long winter.
So the people of St. Albert will do what they always do: They will layer their clothing, bundle up and head out into those frigid -25 C January nights. They will be protected from the harsh elements – in their clothes, in their vehicles, and in their homes.
Now just imagine that you have no winter coat, no socks, no mitts, no hat and your shoes are full of holes. Your stomach is empty and you don’t have a roof over your head. And, you have nowhere to go.
Imagine that feeling. It’s pretty scary, isn’t it? For St. Albert’s homeless people that is an everyday reality; occasionally, for some, it can be life-threatening.
No one should have to suffer through that – ever.
Putting an end to this suffering is the mission of the St. Albert Homeless Prevention Coalition, a number of concerned groups that have banded together to identify and address the problems of homelessness and appropriate housing. Included among them are the City of St. Albert, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and the St. Albert Food Bank & Community Village.
Suzan Krecsy, executive director of the food bank, says homelessness is on the rise in St. Albert. In 2016, there were 79 homeless people; in less than two years that number has jumped to 110. That’s unacceptable in a city as prosperous as ours.
Just this past winter there was a great number of homeless youth in St. Albert, some of whom were as young as 15 years old. Again – unacceptable.
Aiming to help with that problem is The Collective, an agency that, according to its website, “combines support services, space for community groups to gather, and opportunities for young people to develop a retail business.”
Partnering with The Collective, the food bank can make referrals to the agency in a bid to assist youth.
Mayor Cathy Heron, fortunately, is also greatly concerned about homelessness, and has set up a task force, which will work with the coalition to achieve some tangible results.
As the other agencies under the umbrella of the coalition address the problems of homelessness, it is good to see empathetic professionals dedicated to the cause. But is it good enough?
Krecsy admits if you talked to the homeless, they would likely say no. Most of them want a shelter constructed in St. Albert. In conversations with some of them, Krecsy adds they want quick and easy access to mental-health professionals, and to detox and rehab facilities. These facilities don’t exist in St. Albert.
As our population rises, so will our numbers of homeless increase. More, a great deal more can be done to reduce and eventually eliminate this growing problem.
Action should be taken. That first step could be taken in October when the coalition is planning its second ”Community Conversation,” which is meant to inform and educate the public about homelessness.
Granted, it’s a small step, but if the public is better informed then that generous spirit in St. Albertans will rise to the occasion.
Remember, it gets really cold around here quickly.
We don’t need anyone walking the streets without a winter jacket. It just isn’t right.
