Homelessness has become an emergency and your voice and a little kindness can break the silence

By Margaret Eskins Executive Director DARS Dedicated Advocacy Resource Support With growing concern about toxic fentanyl in the drug supply, people who use drugs are facing grave danger. Today, outside the gas station at Whites Road and Kingston Road in Pickering , I saw a man lying on the ground in a position that made me fear the worst. I recognized it as the same one many other Fentanyl users find themselves in when the get into trouble.. I ran over with my phone and naloxone in hand. No one else seemed to stop or even act surprised even though there were a few waiting right there for the next bus. They watched from afar. It felt as though a black curtain had fallen around myself and the man in a position where I wasn’t sure I could even help him. The man was very difficult to wake. Finally with some forceful nudging right under his shoulder blade he roused enough to allow me to move him to a sitting position on the bench. Eventually, he told me who he was and shared a little of his story. He has been homeless over a year living in Pickering. He was hoping to use the DARS warming centre. He was cold and needed somewhere to go. But it is still 60 days until it opens on December 1. Our Winter Warming Centre operates at nighttime only and individuals must still find other spaces to stay warm during the day. Until then, he has to find a way to survive outside. He looked frail and unwell. When I offered to get him lunch or water, he asked for a mint chocolate Aero bar. I learned his teeth were gone and he found most food too difficult to chew. I went to the store and returned with two bars and a protein drink. He was thrilled beyond belief. How sad I recall feeling. By then, a young police officer was speaking with him. The man said he had experienced a seizure. This was the same explanation he had given me. Fire crews arrived but were waved off by the officer who said it looked like I had things under control and she, to the man’s relief, left too. I offered him information about our services and called Street Outreach at 311. He was alive but I had little control over his situation nor the broader homeless epidemic. Once again I felt the black curtain fall. I’m not blaming first responders. Their hands are often tied and when they do intervene their efforts are met with no beds, no help, no change for the individuals they attempt to serve and protect. This encounter stayed with me. Homelessness is an emergency. Addiction, poor and declining mental health and limited access to timely, intensive care are adding pressure to a system that needs new solutions now. Governments at every level, together with frontline organizations, must work differently and act urgently. More than 2,000 people in Durham Region alone are living without housing. These are our neighbours, sons, brothers, sisters and daughters. How is this okay? Whether you blame the individuals or not, and I hope you don’t, this is so unacceptable in a country as rich as Canada. The next time you see someone in distress, offer kindness and help if you can. Carry naloxone; it is available free at many pharmacies and they will train you how to administer it. It’s actually a simple nose spray. LEARN CPR!! If someone appears to be in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to call 911. Then call your MPP and MP. Tell them homelessness is not going away, and that people cannot wait for help until winter—or until their next crisis. We already have a crisis!!!