Charity Guys

On Friday, July 22nd around 7pm, Charity Guys Justin Robertson, Aidan Henry and Darragh Grove-White began a special project called “Dinner With A Stranger” where we take out a person who is experiencing poverty first hand for dinner and hear their story. The goal behind it is to shed light on the stigma associated with homelessness, mental illness and poverty in Victoria. We said that if this project only changes one person’s perspective and elicits more compassion, then in our world it was a success. And it was; we gained a lot of insight.

We were incredibly fortunate to have encountered “Christopher”, a 34-year-old living on the streets for nearly 20 years. Christopher isn’t a drug addict, he doesn’t have a mental illness, but he does have a very interesting story. Christopher lived in Toronto and ran away when he was 14 from home. His father died of an aneurism and within a very short period of time, a number of other close family members died of unrelated causes. His mother became unstable and he had nowhere else to go and no other family, so he ran away.

Christopher has been across the country by hitch hiking many times and had some great stories to tell us, some funny, some pretty scary. He credits his beautiful, good-natured dog Sephera for staying out of trouble because she reminds him regularly with her wagging-tail of affection that she cares about him and that he is counted on. He points out that “If I go to jail, no one will be there to take care of her- she counts on me… She and I are going to be together until one of us dies”. He got her when she was six weeks old; she’s now four and a half.

We asked him what resources he has found most useful around Victoria and he found Cool Aid Society has been very helpful for him. One of the challenges he has is Sephera “hates junkies”, and to avoid unnecessary confrontations with others, Cool Aid Society meets his and her needs because his options are limited, and is not able to go to Our Place. Cool Aid Society offers temporary work contracts if they are available and other services that are regularly utilized and much needed for those living on the streets, including warm clothes and more.

We asked Christopher what his dream was and he said he would love to apprentice with a carpenter. He loves working with his hands and finds it gratifying when he builds. He has done quite a bit in the past but says “it’s hard finding a person willing to take you on as more than just a laborer”. If you know of anyone needing a hard worker in construction, we’d be happy to pass the message along.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much as we enjoyed our dinner with Christopher!

Until next time,
-The Charity Guys

On Saturday June 18th, the Charity Guys once again embarked on a garbage clean-up mission. The destination was the Galloping Goose Trail. Although the weather seemed ugly in the morning, it turned out quite nice by afternoon.

The conversation was interesting as always and the trash bag filled up quickly. By the end, the trail was clean and we all got some exercise. It was yet another successful clean-up operation :)

-Charity Guys

On June 9th, the Charity Guys organized a movie night at the Our Place Society. We brought in all sorts of movies and treats – chips, chocolate, and pop. The simple goal was to raise spirits and provide some laughter. Though attendance was low, it was our first time hosting such an event and we didn’t know what to expect. Having said that, the vibe was good and everyone enjoyed the evening. Treats were eaten and laughs were had!

We plan on doing another movie night, but next time we will focus more on marketing and ensuring that more visitors to the centre are able to partake in the experience. All in all though, I think it was a good learning experience for us and the few who did make it out enjoyed themselves. We looking forward to working together with the Our Place Society in the future on other projects as well :)

-Charity Guys

In mid-April, the Charity Guys were back at it saving lives at the blood donor clinic. In an effort to try and raise awareness in the community and ease the fears of first time donors, the Charity Guys assembled 9 more people to donate. For the majority of the individuals, this was their first time donating blood. Meeting just after 1pm, each person was registered at the front desk with shaking hands and racing thoughts forgoing the donation out of total fear. The idea of 610ml of blood being removed through plastic tubes from your body is not the most natural task to accept, but nonetheless a very noble experience once it is all said and done. After each “newbie” donation has been taken people sit in confused awe state of mind at a table eating delicious free cookies and enjoy tropical fruit beverages, thinking to themselves, “that wasn’t so bad after all”.

If you are one of those people who has had thoughts of donating blood before and want to learn more or potential take the leap of faith, this is a great way to experience the living saving event. You will be more than surprised before it is half way through of how easy it is, and how much fun you had hanging out with the team! We hope to see you at the next  blood drive, and don’t forget donations can be made every 56 days.

-Charity Guys

On Saturday, April 2nd, the Charity Guys descended upon Willows Beach in Oak Bay to do some garbage removal and community clean-up. Although the weather was all over the map, the day was a success. We were able to clean the entire beach and partake in some entertaining discussions. It’s always a great time being able to hang out with the guys and help out in the community.

We look forward to doing it all again in a few weeks. We’re also looking forward to an upcoming blood drive, as well as a group outing to the Our Place Society!

Thanks,
-Charity Guys

On a sunny afternoon six Charity Guys met up at Clover Point to collect trash along the Dallas road waterfront. This time we were armed with handy garbage picking up claws thanks to Eugene.

We scoured the cliffs, beach and trail picking up all sorts of lovely discarded items including parking tickets, big gulp cups, condoms, a suitcase and even a  duvet cover. There was also a disturbing amount of dog crap in bags… seriously, don’t even bother bagging your dog’s crap if you are just going to toss them into the bushes!

We chatted with a few dog-walkers and passer-bys, all curious to what we were doing. It was a beautiful day and we had a blast and made the waterfront a bit cleaner. Charity Guys reminded me a simple act that’s beneficial to the community can also be enjoyable.

- Charity Guys

This post is long overdue as well, but better late than never! In late November and December, the Charity Guys signed up for 5 time slots to ring the bell in front of the Bay Centre to help raise money for the Salvation Army. Every Tuesday, we’d get together for a few hours to chat with folks and drink our hot drinks. Many donations and much support were greatly appreciated. We’re certain that our ~15 hours worth of time made a big difference in the Christmas of a few under-privileged families in the Victoria area.

We had a great time and we look forward to doing it again next year!

Thanks for your support,
-Charity Guys

A few weeks ago, the Charity Guys decided to clean up a 2-kilometre stretch of the Galloping Goose Trail near the Gorge. A few friends and family members came along to help out. Armed with contractor garbage bags, gardening gloves, and a wheeled garbage bin, we chose one of the wettest days of the year (unintentionally) to remove garbage from the trail and restore a more natural setting. Along the way, we found an old decomposing car seat, countless plastic bags, condoms, gardening pots, and many other strange finds. Filling 5 garbage bags and a garbage bin produced an entertaining, fun, wet day filled with friends and positive change in the community.

Thanks again to our supporters and especially our satellite member, Eugene Henry, from Campbell River for coming out. See you out there again in early March to hit Dallas Road and Clover Point!

Thanks for stopping by!
-Charity Guys

In December (yes, this post is long overdue), the Charity Guys got together to assemble $400 worth of goods for the homeless. These included hygiene care packages, toques, gloves, used jackets and food gift certificates from “Pig BBQ”. We were also fortunate enough to receive donated pet food. Once we were all packed up, we hit the downtown Victoria area during a few chilly nights. We met with many homeless people, heard their stories, and walked away feeling like we gained from the experiences they shared with us. They taught us about a reality we never had the chance to understand until that point and, in retrospect, reinforced how fortunate we truly are.

We’d like to take this chance to thank Bosley’s Pet Food for their very generous donation of over 100 pounds of pet food. All cat and dog food left over was donated to the Victoria SPCA. Also we’d like to thank Pig BBQ at Yates and Blanshard for their considerate contribution of matching us 25% for every dollar spent on food gift certificates. Lastly, we’d like to thank our supporters who came to our fundraiser party. This event helped us raise enough money to make this all possible. A big thank you from Charity Guys! Our strength comes from community support and people like yourselves. Thanks for partnering with us to make a difference!

-Charity Guys

Last Thursday, the Charity Guys visited the Our Place Society in downtown Victoria. We had pre-arranged a tour as we were extremely interested in viewing the facilities and getting a deeper look into the operations. What we came across was much more than we imagined…

When thinking about a hang-out spot for homeless, you’d imagine that facilities would be bare minimum with dreary interiors. You might also imagine less than exceptional food and bathing services. But think again…

The interior of the building feels more like a 4-star hotel than a homeless gathering place. Colours and designs are modern and enlightening. Food is regularly bought fresh and cooked by trained professionals and chefs. As for the bathing facilities, all visitors are given a clean supplies (towel, shampoo), and bathrooms are cleaned by the staff after each individual usage.

What made me most impressed was how the people were being treated – with respect and dignity. After all, people are people, no matter their status or income. Upper class treatment is a better way to describe the environment. We joked that some of the homeless may never want to leave given the unbelievable facilities and hospitality.

All in all, we really enjoyed the tour. A few members couldn’t make it, so we may even schedule another tour if possible. Having said that, we are planning on helping the society by raising donations, providing a movie night for visitors, and/or supplying dessert for a dinner. Should be a great chance to give back and have fun!

For more information, visit the Our Place Society.