Have a question about poverty, addiction, homelessness? Ask an Expert! Submit your question here and it could be answered in the Ask an Expert section here, or in an upcoming issue of UGM’s newsletter, The Inner City Pulse.
Q: What is the best response to someone who is begging?
I support UGM because I really want to help people struggling with homelessness and addiction. My question is about the proper way to respond to someone “begging” on a street corner. I want to help, but have always been told that giving money is not wise. I want to treat them with dignity, but find myself avoiding their eyes as I do not want to give cash. What do you suggest?
- Suzanne R., Abbotsford
A: This is probably the number one question I get when I’m out speaking to the community. Here are the five pieces of advice I always give:
1) First and foremost, always follow your heart and follow your gut. Most of us have a soft heart and want to help, but if you feel unsafe hold back and keep walking.
2) Don’t profile homeless people and don’t assume they’re all addicts. Everyone has a story and 95% will genuinely appreciate if you look them in the eye to acknowledge them.
3) Don’t shy away from engaging the person. Give dignity and respect and you’ll get it back. Acknowledging that they’re a human being will earn you their trust.
4) Never give cash. Instead give the person a gift card or a coupon for food. I carry a couple of Starbucks cards with a value of $2.50 on them and some coupons for a nutritious fast food restaurant (like Subway). Sometimes, when time allows, I’ll invite him or her to join me for a coffee or a wrap.
5) If you’re near one of our locations, tell the person about the wide-range of services available at UGM.
- Rev. Bruce G. Curtiss, UGM Senior Chaplain
Q: Does Union Gospel Mission offer any follow-up for men and women once they have completed the Alcohol & Drug Recovery Program?
A: Staying connected to a support system is an important factor in preventing relapse. That’s why we assist graduates in staying connected with each other and with the Mission’s counsellors through our Alumni Association. Members of the Alumni meet monthly for support and fellowship, as well as to plan community service projects. We also have open discussion meetings during which current residents of the A&D program can connect with Alumni. It’s so valuable to for the men to be able to connect with and encourage one another!
Many of the Alumni become valued volunteers and employees, and are active in reaching out to hurting and addicted individuals, who, like they were, are caught in the deadly spiral of addiction.
- Rev. Janet MacPhee, Alcohol & Drug Counsellor and Alumni Liaison
Q: In the media coverage of issues on the Downtown Eastside, I often hear them talk about ‘SROs.’ What is an SRO?
A: SRO stands for Single Room Occupancy and this describes many of the hotels on the Downtown Eastside. SROs are one-room apartments that are rented on a monthly or weekly basis. Tenants share common bathrooms and sometimes also share kitchen facilities.
Over the next few months, you’ll likely hear a lot about the solutions being proposed to help house Vancouver’s homeless. The following is a glossary of a few key housing terms. It’s worth noting that UGM’s Maurice McElrea Place is abstinence-based housing. UGM believes that abstinence-based housing is a key part of the housing solution as it provides affordable housing in an alcohol- and drug-free environment, the key for men and women who have completed a recovery program and are committed to sobriety.
- Bill Mollard, President, Union Gospel Mission
Hardest to House: Refers to people with more complex needs and multiple challenges when it comes to housing, such as mental illness(es), addiction(s), other conditions or disabilities, justice-system histories, etc.
Abstinence-Based or Dry Housing: Housing where tenants are not allowed to drink alcohol or use other drugs while in tenancy. Tenants are expected to be "clean" before moving in and actively working on their recovery while living there.
Damp Housing: Housing where tenants do not need to be "clean" when entering the program but are expected to be actively working on recovery from substance use problems.
Wet Housing: Housing where tenants are not expected to abstain from using alcohol and other drugs, and where entering a rehabilitation program is not a requirement.
*This glossary is adapted from Visions: BC's Mental Health and Addictions Journal, 2007, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 5-6
Want to ask your own question? It's easy to ask an expert right here.