Humans of Burnaby

The Holes in Our System (3 of 3)

"I go to the outreach center with a number of volunteers where we serve coffee and lunch to the homeless. We do this to make these people feel at home. When they are there they are anonymous. It’s giving them a place to have breakfast and lunch while socializing because they are isolated. People say they have a lot of empathy but you really have to experience them and have no judgement. It is really not as simple as just calling them homeless. You are meeting people with health care issues, addiction, isolation, and mental health.

Some come for the social aspect of being a part of a community.

That’s one of the reasons why I teach Tai Chi at the Brentwood Community Resource Center; because of how it can attract a variety of people. Some who come have health issues such as Parkinson’s, pain management, insomnia, high blood pressure, asthma, and more. The Tai Chi set helps them stretch and work on a more open body, along with giving them a space where they can share their issues and exchange experiences. 

Community gatherings like this gives people hope and the world needs more of that."