The Parish of St. John the Evangelist, North Vancouver, is once again reaching out to help the homeless in our community through The Long, Long Night of Hope 2018 - and we need your help to raise awareness. In February 2017, with just 7 participants using social media, St. John's raised over $10,000. for the Lookout Society's homeless shelter in North Vancouver, BC. The fundraising campaign culminated on February 25th, when the participants slept in their cars, or on the floor of the church sanctuary, getting just a tiny taste of what life is like every day for the homeless.
Here is a Media Release from event organizer, Donna Lawrence
It’s raining, again. Non-stop rain for days, and the forecast for the foreseeable future is more rain, cold and wet. If you travel east from the Lower Mainland, cold and wet becomes colder, snowier, and icier.
No one chooses to be homeless in these conditions.
There is a dangerous myth out there, that homeless people are homeless by choice. This myth was probably created to make us feel more comfortable about the fact that thousands of people in BC do not have a real roof over their heads, or access to regular meals.
We call them lazy, unwilling to work., drug addicts, mentally unstable.
Some things to think about:
- A 70-something woman who has worked all her life, and now in retirement her pension is not enough to provide her with both food and shelter, so she lives in her car.
- A single mother of two, escaping a physically abusive relationship, with no family nearby to help her, with the bravery to get out of the violent situation but no money in her pocket.
- A young gay man who came out to his family and was promptly kicked out of his home for just being who he is.
- A middle-aged man who was “reorganized” out of his job of 20 years, whose age gets in the way of his getting even the most menial employment, and now his reserve of funds has run out.
Homelessness is real, it is not a choice, and we all need to do something about it. Together, we can make a difference! Homelessness is not hopelessness, and you can be the hope!
Become a participant in The Long, Long Night of Hope 2018. You can start raising money online by sharing your personal fundraising page with your friends and family via email and social media. Then join us on February 24th 2018 as we spend the night, just as many homeless people do, sleeping in our cars or on a pew in the church.
Uncomfortable? Yes.
Sleepless? Possibly.
But it will be the most fulfilling sleepless night of your life.
In February 2017, over $10,000 was raised for the Lookout Society Shelter in North Vancouver! This year, with your help, we look to double that amount!
For more information, or to register as a participant, email longlongnightofhope@gmail.com, or visit Facebook.
For More Information email Donna Lawrence or the St. John's Office