MICHELLE:
April 25/11 10:50pm
So its now almost 9 hours into my 24 hours of being homeless. At 2pm today we all met in the downtown area. Plenty of excitement and nerves running wild with adrenaline to beat the streets to make our cause known. The media met us to interview our campaign host and get the facts of our reasoning to participate in such a cause. Then the walking started from one end of downtown to the other strutting our red logo shirts with our logo tukes. People starring, people stopping, people curious as to who we are. We made a sign to represent our cause, while cars stopped to give us donations. Then we find a spot to set up camp for the night. We get all our cardboard bedding laid to get it cozy to sleep. We leave our cardboard thinking it is safe to walk the street for one more time before settling for the night. We walk around some more to help stay warm, as well as, get seen by the public. When we all get back to our sleeping area first thing we notice is all our cardboard was gone! What an empty feeling came over us all really! However, it did not stop our resilent group. We all worked together to rebuild our “home”. There was people searching for cardboard while others went dumpster diving to find padding to sleep on. Then we made our “home” again. Where we sat to talk about the day as well as the days to come.
April 26/11 12am
Overtired now.. Some of us are nearly sleeping while others wide awake listening to the downtown noise, trying to fall asleep… How do I feel now? Safe with the group I’m with; while scared and worried for the homeless that are alone, with no one around them to feel safe. I feel like I am gifted right now to have people who care. I feel bad for the homeless and like I want to do more to help them feel safe and have a roof over their heads… time to get some rest now as it is getting late, and we have an early rise. I need to put my pen down and try to close my eyes… Goodnight.
April 26/11 7:16am
Well that was a night to always remember. Tossing and turning trying to stay warm, while needing to get some sleep. Waking up in a sleeping bag, outside staying on the street. We all get up to start another day, taking all our bedding and hiding it away; Walk up to Atlantic place, brush our teeth and wash our face. Over to Mile One to let people see our faces to let them know that yes we are still here. Due to the face of how much we all care. How do I feel here on this early morning rise? Eager to get started on helping the donations rise. Will relax here in the sun, sitting on the steps. In hopes someone drives by with coffee as I haven’t had any yet..
(After 2pm)
Home now! Wow is my first reaction. What a difference between “homes” from 24 hours ago and where I was planning to lay my head compare to now… all showered, laundry in the washer and going for a quick nap! However, I wanted to make a note about my day, before I take a cozy nap.. After playing bowling made from recycled trash; on the steps of Mile One, we all left to walk the streets again. We stopped into Choices for Youth to get some coffee; while one participant talked on VOCM radio about our campaign. We left there then to walk the streets while collecting donations for our cause. By the time noon rolled around I was feeling exhausted, somewhat cold and hungry. We decided to hang out at the Scotia Centre, where again we met with the media. After spending and hour there our walking continues, up until meeting my pickup ride at 3pm. When at this time I left my group. How did that make me feel? Well a little guilty de to the fact I knew I was now going home; while my group was left there to be homeless. I wanted to go back and spend the remaining days of the campaign with them, however; due to other lifes obligations I had to leave. The past 24 hours have been such an experience to me and an eye opener to exactly how someone always has it worst. I feel bad for the homeless in how they have to learn to survive; however, I feel that due to the situations that they (the homeless) have to surpass before becoming homeless that they are all resilient survivors.
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