DAY TO DAY

YOU CAN HELP

Make eye contact with and say hello to people

Keep Ziploc bags of toiletries, socks, snack food and

Bust the stigma and share stories. Feeling a sense

experiencing homelessness when you pass them on the street. Greet them as you would a friend or colleague.

grocery coupons in your car to share with people down on their luck whom you meet on the street.

of support and community is empowering to those struggling with a mental illness. Be a welcome ear, share a personal experience and break the silence that keeps people from being open about their illness. Together, we can stop the perpetuation of misunderstanding about mental health conditions.

Pay attention to your language. Use expressions

In our language and daily encounters, we

”like people experiencing homelessness” rather than labelling them “bums”, “transient” or even “the homeless”.

always need to remind ourselves that people in these difficult situations are, before anything else, human beings.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP TAKE ACTION, HOST A SCREENING OR START READING


TAKE ACTION Now that you have learned about homelessness and mental illness, the next step is to take action and spread the message. Deciding where to start is never easy, check out the following so you can get involved in making a difference. The best place to start is www.takepart.com/thesoloist. Here you can learn more about the issues, learn great ways you can make a difference and purchase The Soloist film.				HOST A SCREENING Have a house party or ask a teacher if you can watch the film over a few sessions in class. After watching the film, consider taking your thoughts and feelings to an online forum, in a blog or a social networking site.

START READING: There are several books out there that can help you learn more about homelessness.


Book title: Dying For A Home – Homeless Activists Speak Out Author: Cathy Crowe	Book title: All Our Sisters – Stories of Homeless Women across Canada Author: Susan Scott	Book title: Street Stories – 100 Years of Homelessness in Vancouver Author: Michael Barnholden and Nancy Newman	Book title: Homelessness – The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis Author: Jack Layton


Book title: Tell Them Who I Am – The Lives of Homeless Women Author: Elliot Liebow	Book title: Braving The Street – The Anthropology of Homelessness Authors: Irene Glasser and Rae Bridgman	Book title: The Soloist – A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, & the Redemptive Power of Music Author: Steve Lopez