Erin Christie

Morning Star Staff

害羞草研究所淚n a different time and place, we could have been friends.害羞草研究所�

He was articulate and well-spoken. He was great at self-reflection. He liked watching the Vancouver Canucks. And more often than not, he lived at the Howard House Men害羞草研究所檚 Shelter.

害羞草研究所淗e had been coming to our shelter on and off for a few years, and we hit it off right away,害羞草研究所� Steve Soglo, manager of shelter services at the , told the crowd gathered in Polson Park Thursday afternoon to honour people whose deaths were linked to homelessness in 2017.

Thursday害羞草研究所檚 service remembered 15 men and women.

害羞草研究所淚n a different time and place, we could have been friends害羞草研究所� this (was a) guy, who was my age who struggled in life,害羞草研究所� he added.

After not seeing him for nearly a year, Soglo said he began to wonder what happened to his would-be friend害羞草研究所攊f he had achieved his goals, or if life had gotten better for him. Then one day Soglo害羞草研究所檚 coworker showed him the man害羞草研究所檚 name in the obituaries.

害羞草研究所淭his guy in his 40s, who I had hoped so much for, was gone. And then you wonder how it happened.害羞草研究所�

Chuck Harper, a chaplain at First Baptist Church, and the organizer of the annual service, says people like himself and Soglo rarely, if ever, find the answer.

害羞草研究所淭here are usually rumours, but because of privacy issues, no one but the person害羞草研究所檚 family is given any information,害羞草研究所� he explained before sharing a similar story of his own.

害羞草研究所淢y friend died behind a gas station害羞草研究所� his body was found behind a dumpster, and I don害羞草研究所檛 know why or how. And even worse, there was no obituary, no memorial that I害羞草研究所檓 aware of害羞草研究所攏othing. Nothing was said. There was more in the news about a car accident that had happened that day than about him. That really affected me.害羞草研究所�

Harper said he has experienced too many of these 害羞草研究所渦nder-reported害羞草研究所� deaths over the course of his nearly 30 years working with some of the city害羞草研究所檚 most vulnerable citizens as a pastor and frontline worker.

害羞草研究所淥ne of our guys had fallen down the stairs at Gateway (Shelter) and that was the straw that broke the camel害羞草研究所檚 back. I needed to do something,害羞草研究所� he said, referring to the moment he decided to spearhead the memorial in 2014.

害羞草研究所淭here were 15 deaths that year害羞草研究所擨 had all I could stands and I couldn害羞草研究所檛 stands no more.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not about camps害羞草研究所�. It害羞草研究所檚 not about bums. It害羞草研究所檚 about men and women who are dying and we need to do more to stop it.害羞草研究所�

Popeye reference aside, Harper said the number concerns him, but the causes are even more alarming and speak emphatically to the harsh realities of poverty and the dangers of living on the street.

In his research, Harper said he learned that the No. 1 cause of death among the homeless population is compromised health, which includes death related to overdose, exposure and malnutrition. The second leading cause of death is cancer.

害羞草研究所淭here are as many reasons for being homeless as there are homeless,害羞草研究所� Vernon City Coun. Juliette Cunningham said during her turn at the podium Thursday afternoon. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 (homelessness) a very divisive issue and it害羞草研究所檚 becoming a partisan issue. But it doesn害羞草研究所檛 matter which political party you support, we need to look at this from a human perspective.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not about camps or people in camps. It害羞草研究所檚 not about bums. It害羞草研究所檚 about men and women who are dying and we need to do more to stop it,害羞草研究所� Harper added.

Having panhandled on the streets of Vernon when he was 16 after being kicked out of the house for his destructive behaviour, Harper said he knows first-hand what kind of complications some of his 害羞草研究所済uys and gals害羞草研究所� on the streets are facing.

害羞草研究所淚 was an alcoholic by the time I was 22. I was drunk and blacking out, and I realized I needed to make a change. I害羞草研究所檓 married with five kids and nine grandchildren now, but if it wasn害羞草研究所檛 for people reaching out to me and helping me and my brokenness and holding me accountable, I would have been dead or in jail many years ago,害羞草研究所� he noted.

害羞草研究所淣ot everyone is so lucky, and I do my best to reach out and help these people, like people helped me so that they don害羞草研究所檛 end up dead behind a dumpster like my friend. People get angry about the camps and some of the things that go on at the camps and I understand that, but it害羞草研究所檚 important to remember these are not nameless, faceless, bad people害羞草研究所� that they害羞草研究所檙e all individuals. They all have a story.害羞草研究所�