Ideas and inspiration
Do you ever have an idea that makes perfect sense in your head but when you talk about it, the idea gets tainted with doubt and belittlement? Or maybe you have an idea but you’re waiting for some sort of sign, a “light-bulb” moment to turn your idea into a reality.
I spent most of my holidays in bed, looking at the bedroom ceiling, fighting a cold and regretting the fourth helping of turkey dinner sending me into the inevitable holiday food coma. Aside from feeling sick, I did manage to conjure some goals I wanted to carry through in the New Year.
I wanted to raise awareness for injustices that occur in Vancouver every day. I was focusing mainly on the homeless when I started to think about isolated seniors, women in shelters, people battling addictions and those struggling with mental health. There are so many causes I am passionate about, but where and how do I even start? These were my thoughts throughout the break. They persisted over the following weeks until I was sitting back in a CMHAW classroom at Stenberg, cramming in some reading and being informed that two high school students from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School had a presentation for us.
The students of Winston Churchill
They started off by introducing themselves and telling us why they were standing before us. Their objective: to raise awareness about a temporary modular housing development in the Marpole area in Vancouver. In November, the city of Vancouver approved development for these modular homes that would provide 78 units to the homeless. The project was to be done by February but as a result of protests and controversy, construction was delayed.
People living in the Marpole area who were opposed to the development began using social media as a platform to voice and dispute their opinions. A Facebook page called “Marpole Students Against Modular Housing” was created to make the development appear dangerous for families living in the community. A few students at Churchill Secondary felt this Facebook page was speaking for them, even though they did not share the same opinions or ideas.
Some Churchill Secondary students felt it was spreading fear and inaccurate information that framed the modular homes as having a negative impact on the community. They later found out that this page was not created by students as mentioned in the title, but by a parent who felt threatened by the idea housing in Marpole for those living below poverty lines.
Finding their voice
After some research, the students of Churchill grew passionate about speaking up and providing humane outcomes for all, so they created the Facebook page “Marpole Students FOR Modular Housing”. Here they could speak up, provide arguments against the concerns negatively tainting this development, and also give a true perspective from a student vantage point. What started off as a small disagreement over social media became a heated and contentious debate within the Marpole community. The students were aggressively informed that this was an adult situation with no room for dependent school kids.
With everything they shared and the discussed with us, I came to feel that this was not an adult situation at all. It was a situation that required a voice and they are that voice. My classmates and I were truly inspired, encouraged and quite proud that these students were not allowing fear or age to limit them. These students have the CMHAW cohort’s full support and I hope that they have yours too.
They also talked about organizations they were working alongside and raising awareness for. If you have Instagram check them out: @komfoods (Kitchen on a Mission) and @i.believe.in.pink.project. You can also look them up online for more information.
Finding my voice
This was the sign or push I was looking for. I needed to hear these words to prompt action on a project that I have been working on in my head. I have created an Instagram page called @lost_in_raincouver where I shine light on social injustices, homelessness and organizations that help those in need in Vancouver, BC. I plan on interviewing people, sharing their stories of struggle and hope, volunteering with organizations I feel passionate about, and using my own voice as a platform to raise awareness on issues I believe are meaningful and important.
