Homeless in the Hat
If you missed what this was all about, a small group of people took to the streets for 48 hours to raise awareness for homelessness in Medicine Hat. The event, aptly named, “Hatters Without Homes” took place on the weekend with around 25 participants. The participants used shelters and food services as provided by the city which has come with a lot of criticism including a couple comments a long the lines of, “They were out their wasting all the much needed food and resources.”; however, it’s been cleared up that they re-supplied all that they took as well raised money for charity while they were out there.
Medicine Hat News articles:
Taking it to the streets: Initiative raises awareness about homelessness
Homeless experience an eye-opener
October 1st, 2009 at 5:39 AM
Dean says:
As a side note concerning the Food Bank, Cypress Packers was the only beef slaughterhouse in the immediate area the had government inspectors. The only way the Food Bank could accept donated meat was if it came directly from being processed at a facility that was government inspected.
My sister and her family would donate an animal a year to the Food Bank, paying Cypress Packers to cut, wrap and freeze the animal into hamburger. In the last year Cypress Packers has closed, leaving no government inspected facility in the immediate area.
If someone wishes to continue donating an animal to the Food Bank they must pay transportation to and from either Brooks or Swift Current in addition to the processing. My sister and her family can no longer afford to donate to the Food Bank and absorb the extra expenses.
Highlighting the social issues right here in Medicine Hat isn’t always popular but some people are concerned enough to step into the spotlight and be seen.
October 1st, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Dusty says:
I didn’t know about the meat thing, seems a little much but understandable.