December 1, 2019 Carnegie Newsletter

401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289 Email: carnnews@shaw.ca

Website/Catalogue:

carnegienewsletter.org

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Weighs in on Oppenheimer

Park & Housing as a Right

"Housing is one of the most precious and essential human rights of all": Amnesty International Canada visits Oppenheimer Park On November 21, Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, visited Oppenheimer Park to speak with residents and supporters. During the one-hour conversation, he heard about living conditions in the park, jurisdictional issues, lack of access to electricity and sanctioned heat sources, and lack of access to safe dignified housing. He responded with these statements: "I'm honoured to be here. Life here is many many things - but it's also about human rights. I want to say how much respect and admiration I have, and we have, for what you are doing here. We need to make it clear to use

a human rights approach: Right to housing, Right to health, Right to safe water, sanitation, Right to life, Right to be free from discrimination, Indigenous rights and Women's right to be protected."

"There's a new federal law that passed a few months ago that recognizes a right to housing. This new law should make a difference, but it could take years. That's why what you're doing here is so important."

"Governments have let situations fester and be ignored for far too long, so we do have crisis situations. And so to hear from people here that they feel safer, they feel more supported, and they feel it's more dignified to live in tents that have been erected in a public park than to turn to some of the substandard housing that has been offered to them, is a disgraceful thing to hear, but sadly at the end of the day it isn't a surprise.

"Obviously I'm not an expert on fire safety and heating supplies, that's not what Amnesty's business is, but absolutely, the right to ask for housing is all about the kinds of conditions that make life safe and secure and healthy. And in Canada, any time of year but obviously particularly in the winter, heat is absolutely essential to that. And we know very often in many conditions across the country, it's issues around heat that become one of the central concerns around housing that is offered.

"So while I'm not in a position to say to the fire department or to the government here, what the solution has to be, what I can say is that from a human rights perspective, there must be a solution and it's not enough to say there can't be heat. If there are concerns about particular types of ways that heat is provided, then deal with that. We're a prosperous country, we have a whole host of different ways of ensuring heat is available to people, and that needs to be part of the solution.

"I think to hear, at its core, to hear from people that there is not housing available that would make it possible to move from here into conditions that are supported and safe and dignified, is a real indictment, not just an indictment here in Vancouver, but I think it is a profound indictment that the fact that we've got this longstanding, unacceptable failure to recognize that housing - safe adequate housing - is not just something nice, it's not just something for municipal governments to figure out when they're balancing budgets - it's one ofthe most precious and essential human rights of all, and we need to start taking it seriously.

"Ironically, just a few weeks ago I was along the US-Mexico border, where I think we all know there is another human rights crisis playing out. And in one particular community Matamoros, Mexico, which is right across the border from Brownsville, Texas, a makeshift refugee camp has suddenly sprung up, in which people who are being obstructed from being able to pursue the refugee claims that they have made in the United States, but are being forced to remain in Mexico while that's happening, are now living in something that looks almost exactly like this. It's camping tents that have largely been donated by concerned citizens in the area, because people have nowhere to go, there is no safe secure shelter being provided that they can stay in for the many many months they are going to be living there before they're finally perhaps being allowed into the United States.

"And a lot of the same things that I just heard about here: issues around sanitation, issues around access to safe water, toilets, exactly the same kinds of concerns here, totally different situation, but both what of them come down to in the end, whether you're a refugee stuck at the border between the US and Mexico, or whether you're someone-facing a struggle around housing here in Vancouver, it's all about human rights." • As of November 21, there were 111 tents in the park.

Submitted by Fiona York Backgrounder • There are well over 2,223 homeless people in the City of Vancouver. Most have no access to daytime shelter, and at least 600 people have zero overnight shelter options. Tent cities like Oppenheimer provide safety in community. Tent cities are often considered "harm reduction zones" in the midst of housing crises, as they reduce exposure to external violence and the elements and provide basic necessities and a community of peers.

Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes that "everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice." • The Parks Board cannot cede authority of unceded land. Oppenheimer has 60%+ urban, non-status, Inuit, Metis and Indigenous residents.

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To slow the loss of the last low income SROs in Vancouver, Councillor Jean Swanson has put the following motion to City Council. It is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, December 10 Current law does protect rents from being raised above a certain amount, but only if a tenant stays in their unit.

If someone moves out for any reason, the rent can be raised by any amount that the landlord decides. By extending rent controls to apply between tenancies, the city can intervene to preserve this vital housing supply.

If you would like to sign up to speak on this motion or would like to arrange a ride City Hall that day, please call the SRO Collaborative at: 6043178593 or email dtes.sro.collab@gmail.com MOTION ON NOTICE WHEREAS 1. Single Room Occupancy Hotels are designated under the Singe Room Accommodation By-Law (2003) which was enacted to discourage speculative investment and slow the loss of affordability in this critical lowincome housing stock, 94% of which are located in the DTES. 2. Currently 180 SRO rooms in the DTES (The Avalon, St. Elmo, Pacific, and Arno) are offered for sale and are at risk of being gentrified by a new owner who may push existing low income residents out; 3. The city has already lost the affordability of hundreds ofSRO units for low income people because new owner/investors gradually get rid of low income tenants, upgrade slightly, and increase rents by hundreds of "r dollars a month; 4. As the last rental home option before homelessness for many low-income Vancouverites, the loss of affordable SRO units through room and building closures and through increasing rents, is contributing to the inability of the City and partners to catch up with and reduce homelessrtess in Vancouver and the DTES; 5. The City's SRO Revitalization Action Plan and Housing Vancouver (2017) called for "a specific category in the Residential Tenancy Act for SRA-designated properties by tying rent increases to the room as opposed to the tenant in an effort to slow rent increases and tenant displacement" 6. By regulating rent changes. With this change, landlords would still be able to increase rent by the allowable amount every year and would still be able to apply under section 23 of the RTA regulations for rent increases over the aitowable amount due to unexpected costs; and 7.

The province has not yet implemented the City's recommendationand

it is more urgent than ever.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED A. THAT City Council, through the Mayor and staff, urgently ask the provincial government to tie rent increases to the rooms, not the tenancy in SRO designated properties, in an effort to discourage speculative investment, slow rent increases, and discourage displacement of very low income tenants into homelessness.

B. THAT staff investigate alternate ways to meet the goals in A, such as using business licences and/or amendments to the SRA bylaw, that the City Council could implement under their existing Charter Authority and report back by Q2, 2020.

1968 Christmas at the Birmingham Bullring a half-split day of ruptured sky invites me to reminisce of nights gone by, when tall tales of father's god stories left me wide-eyed and in wonder at the Birmingham Bullring we trot through the market with rabbits hung on string, and I notice a stuffed dog yapping on a plastic leash and the sound of old men yelling and cussing his hands caught in the air and a mouth poised in a kiss and skirts and well-pressed trousers and polished boots fly by in the middle of the market where a Christmas tree, blinking red, blue and green stretches up to a ruptured sky. with faces like old porcelain, vendors sell meat pies and pasties and pork and beans and stuffed dogs yapping on plastic leashes at the Birmingham Bullring, where I eat chocolate holding daddy's fingers and pressing through crowds to peer at the snow covered angel at the top of a Christmas tree blinking red, blue and green and the iron bull, wagging its tail in the middle of the market like a troubadour. at the Birmingham Bullring, button-downed mothers push baby strollers with button-down babies burping and smelling of stale milk and daddy is as tall as the devil where everybody is busy and fixed on their work with something important to do like buy stuffed dogs yapping on plastic leashes. the Birmingham Bullring smells of fish and chips and greasy beans and pork sausages but daddy doesn't care, as he picks me up into his arms, stepping onto a red double decker bus to leave the market and its rabbits strung up on string and old men yelling and cussing as the Christmas tree stretches up and up into that ruptured sky.

Ruby Diamond [1st place in Writing Contest-Poetry.]

Holding the Light What is holding?

Gently and with kindness and patience We hold one another.

With our listening ear, our creativity Our sharing in community We hold one another

In silence and in song In prayer and with love We hold one another.

What is the light?

The mysterious energy Of human connection Lights our way, A smile, laughter Tears and the pain of life - shared Lights our way.

.

The beauty . of Mother Earth Creator's gitt to us Lights our way.

And we are filled with gratitude.

And this light shines And we hold this light in the Heart of the City Karen Thorpe This appears in the Heart of the City Festival Program Guide [Reprinted with permission from the author.]

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from the Library As is typical with the approach of the end of the year, we are receiving a plethora of new books. In fact, so many that we can barely fit them on the New Books shelf. So, please help us out by coming into the library and borrowing a few.

For the history buffs out there we have recently received a copy of Margaret MacMillan's (author of Paris 1919) hefty The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914, which is the story of the buildup leading to World War I. It covers the social, economic, and technical aspects that resulted in a cataclysmic war that changed the world forever.

For the music fans we have Bob Dylan FAQ by Bruce Pollock. Written by an award-winning journalist, this book covers almost every part of Dylan's personal life and career. Everything from his romantic relationships to his discography is written about with great detail.

This book is written so that it can be either read front to

back or perused randomly. A must read for Dylan fans or for fans of music in general.

Finally, for the science-fiction and movie buffs, we have The Sci-Fi Movie Guide: The Universe of Film from Alien to Zardoz by Chris Barsanti, which is a celebration of science fiction movies. The book contains reviews of every science fiction movie imaginable. A few of the subgenres it covers are zombies, dystopias, mad scientists, and avant-garde masterpieces.

Here are only three of the MANY new books that we have received and frankly do not have room for, so I implore you ... please borrow some new books!

I would also like to thank all our patrons for their patience so far during our workroom renovation. At times it has been very noisy in the branch, and this will likely continue off and on over the next few weeks, so the patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.

Happy Reading, Daniel

.., The n;}ca7mat et Strathcona Branch of Vancouver Public Library (730 E Hastings) has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association's Peer Navigators Program. Patrons 17 years and older who experience challenges with mental health and/or substance use can receive support from a Peer Navigator between 2pm~ 4pm on Mondays at NCS. Peer Navigators, who also identify as having lived-experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges, provide one-to-one recovery- and goal-oriented support aimed at empowering participants as they identify, set and work towards goals in the areas of health & wellness, community connections, income & financial, housing, and legal aid.

Peer Navigators at n;}ca1mat et Strathcona Branch: November 4th, 2019 - January 27th, 2020 Monday afternoons from 2pm - 4pm Drop-in to speak with a Peer Navigator and meet one-to-one for up to 45 mins.

Support will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

(Please note: there will be no drop-in December 23rd & 31st) The drop-in style outreach program is designed to meet people where they are at, to provide support for interested patrons in a low barrier, no commitment, one-to-one setting. Peer Navigators support people with applications/paperwork, provide information and/or referrals to local resources and programs, support with selfidentifying and working towards goals, and empower participants while they build their capacity to selfadvocate. If interested, individuals who meet the Peer Navigator Program eligibility criteria are invited to register to meet with a Peer Navigator on a weekly basis for up to one year, at one of the two East Vancouver offices. For more information about the Peer Navigator program, please visit htps://vancouver-fraser.cmha.bc.ca! programs-services/peer-navigator/

Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for the tomorrow that never comes I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop I'm waiting to hear the news I'm waiting for my burger to come I'm waiting for the show to start I'm waiting for the game to be over That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for my date I'm waiting for a delivery I'm waiting for the parade to start I'm waiting to hear who won the election.

I'm waiting for the next teller I'm waiting to get my income tax back That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for a parking spot I'm waiting to hear the end of the story I'm waiting for the word I'm waiting for my stew to be done I'm waiting for the five o'clock whistle That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! Who you waiting for?

I'm waiting for the doctor I'm waiting for the next teller I'm waiting for him to come home I'm waiting for my date I'm waiting for her to say yes I'm waiting for my friend ['m waiting for you to get off the pot I'm waiting for him to wake up That's who I'm waiting for Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for my order I'm waiting for the right pitch I'm waiting for the sign to say walk I'm waiting for a tow I'm waiting to say good-bye I'm waiting for an apartment That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! What are you waiting for?

I'm waiting to see my friend off

I'm waiting for a vacancy I'm waiting for an operation I'm waiting for this to be over I'm waiting for the sun to shine again I'm waiting to hear the news That's who I'm waiting for?

Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting to see the end of it I'm waiting for her to say yes I'm waiting to plant the garden I'm waiting for the bus That's what I'm waiting for.

Hey boy? What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for the OK ['m waiting for the all clear I'm waiting because it's the only thing 1 can do I'm waiting for a letter from her I'm waiting for when it gets dark I'm waiting for the wind to die down That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for the test results I'm waiting for the last train out I'm waiting for the pus so I can leave this town I'm waiting for you to give me my twenty bucks back I'm waiting to ask her to dance I'm waiting for my ride That's what I'm waiting for Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for my ship to come in I'm waiting to get to heaven I'm waiting for a change in the weather I'm waiting for the sun to shine.

I'm waiting for them to discover life on another planet That's what I been waiting for.

Hey boy! What you waiting for?

I'm waiting for all this to blow over I'm waiting for a better tomorrow I think that I've been waiting all my life But I don't want to wait any more I'm all waited out Okay boy, I won't ask you anymore Patrick Foley

The Concert Fundraiser,

held on November 14 on behalf of the Carnegie Newsletter, was enjoyed by all fortunate to have been there.

It was held outside the Downtown Eastside and seemed at times to be overwhelming in the many details that had to be covered and prepared for, but that's from an organiser's point of view.

To begin, Priscillia Tait acted as Master of Ceremonies. The first group of performers was the Senior Jazz Ensemble from the St James Music Academy.

These eight musicians got toes tapping. Next was Downtown Eastside actor/songwriter Mike Richter, who got a good response (so much so that one audience member wished for a recording of his songs!)

The first half of the evening was completed by City Opera Vancouver's Charles Barber introducing soprano Chloe Hurst, accompanied on piano by Roger Parton. This was a delight to many.

The 2nd half began with Patrick Foley reading "The Cockroach," his 1st prize entry to the Sandy Cameron Writing Contest. Following this, Priscillia read an addition to her winning entry from last year's contest.

Regulations around Gaming stipulate that any lottery or raffle must be licensed and detailed. We had peo~ ple make donations for tickets: 23 people got door , prizes.

To the delight of all, Lisa David then introduced the headliner, Jim Byrnes. He has won 3 Juno Awards for his Blues music and is also an accomplished actor. It was a real treat to hear him sing and play and end the evening on a flourish.

Finance: Expenses The Carnegie Association approved up to $400 to be spent on feeding the volunteers and performers.

Total Food Expense $315.10 Total Supplies Expense 126.80 Expense for the venue was returned 0 TOTAL $441.90 Revenue Ticket sales, donations, food, dr pz $1124.25 Online tickets (*lower after fees) 636.05* Cheques & cash from supporters 1790.00 $3550.30 TOTAL After the online platforms deduct fees for use, the entire event netted about $3,100. This is phenomenal, given the general state of affairs regarding money.

Thank you to one and all who gave so generously of their time, talent and energy in making this happen! A special thanks to Vancouver Moving Theatre and the Heart of the City Festival for your support.

Paul & Lisa

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BAH HUMBUG! 10th & Final Year!!

The Ghosts of Dickens' A Christmas Carol meet the Hearts & Souls of Today's Downtown Eastside SFU Woodwards, Fei and Milton Wong Theatre, 149 E. Hastings Street Dec. 3-21, 2019!Tickets: at door or www.sfuwoodwards.ca

COMPLIMENTARY

COMMUNITY

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT CARNEGIE FRONT DESK

on first come first serve basis for Tuesday to Thursday Oec 3-5 ,1pm matinees Tuesday Dec 10, 7:30pm performance

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Directed by Mlchael Boucher, featuring Juno Award winner Jim Byrnes, Governor General Humanitarian Award recipient Stephen Lytton, Tom Plckett, Sam Bob, Margo Kane, Kevln McNulty, Vincent Keats, Olivia tucas, Jerry laFaery, Savannah Walling, St. James Music Academy Choir and the animated art work of Richard Tetrauft. Music Direction by Bill Costin.

With over 30 musical numbers, including among others, HOTEL, with lyrics by Patrick Foley commissioned by Bahl Humbug!: WE LIVE DOWN HERE ON HASTINGS STREETIN THIS SRO HOTEl YOU KNOW THAT ITAIN'T NO HEAVEN, 'CAUSE IT'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HElL NOW, WHEN IT GETSCHilLY AND COLD, THE LANDLORD TURNS OFF THE HEAT AND IF YOU'RE EVER LATE WITH THE RENT, HE THROWS Y~lfOUT ON THE STREET AT NIGHT YOU CAN HEAR THE RATS, SCRATCHING IN THE WAll, BUT IT'S WHEN THE BEDBUGS BITE, THAT IS THE WORST OF All YEAH, YOU MIGHT BE DOWN AND OUT, OR SOMEHOW lOST YOUR WAY YOU COULD BE ONE OF THE LONElY ONES, AND FEELYOU GOT NO SAY WE LIVE DOWN HERE ON HASTINGS STREETIN THIS SRO HOTEl YOU K OW THAT IT AIN'T NO HEAVEN' CAUSE IT'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HElL NOW, WE KNOW HE'S GOT A STASH OF EMPTIES THAT THE OLD BASTARD STOLE FROM ALL THE POOR RESIDENTSHE EVICTED FROM THIS HOLE BUT TONIGHT WE'VE COME TOGETHERTO EVEN UP THE SCORE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THEM EMPTIES WHEN WE BREAK DOWN HIS DOOR I'LL MAKE IT BUDGE WITH MY SLEDGE I'LL GET IT AJAR WITH MY IRON BAR I'LL BREAK THE LOCK WITH MY BIG ROCK IF YOU PLEASEI'LL JUST USETHE KEYS An annual fund raiser in support of the DTESHeart of the City Festival.

Produced by SFU Woodwards Cultural Programs in partnership with Vancouver Moving Theatre and in association with Full Circle First Nations Performance.

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••:.+.:•• W'BJ •.:.+.:•• Carnegie Theatre Workshop We"re back/or the Winter season/ "Show thou Cameqie workshop Plovers" '-~"M'~ ~

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Passport Life It just happens Good and bad Bad and Good There's no Passport to happiness Noway Out of depression Sometimes No shine to life But the colour of your hair I am alone Now Stripped of illusions I look for you In a sea of foreign faces

let's put our ideas together for a ,...holiday pageant IV

Creative sessions/rehearsals 1:30pm-4pm 1} Fri Dec 6, Carnegie Theatre 2) Sat Dec 7, Carnegie Theatre 3) Fri Dec 13~Carnegie 3rd fir classroom 4) Sat Dec 14, Carnegie Theatre 5) Fri Dec 20, Carnegie Theatre 6) Mon Dec 23, Carnegie 3rd fir classroom

Performance 6pm Christmas Eve Tuesday Dec 24" Carnegie Theatre

Free, everyone welcome, join in!

For more info: Teresa 604-255-9401 thirteenofhearts@hotmail.com

There's no way out And I've lost the way in Barred ' Phoenix Winter

Oppenheimer's Got Talent

Please join us to ce;ebrate the amazing Talent in the Oppenheimer Park community.

Friday December 13 4:00 pm Carnegie Theatre

Water Lilies I could hear her crying, quietly. The thin curtain that separated us rippled gently, breathing in sympathy with her sighs and the hush of the air conditioning. Other than those two sounds the room was silent. I couldn't know the reason why she was crying but still I had a longing, almost a yearning, to go over and hold her hand. Just to hold her hand and to let her know.

I was on the other side of that curtain in my own bed, a hospital bed, because I'd tried to commit suicide. Not a very good attempt as it turns out. It was a long metaphorical hallway that had led me to that bed, a hallway with many, many doors on either side. All of those doors were closed and locked. Except for one. I stood on the threshold of that one open door for at least a year. And then finally I took a step. I spent a sunny morning with an iced Americano and cigarettes at a sidewalk table. In the afternoon I bought a mix of prescription drugs off the street, enough I thought to do the job. The rest of the day I tidied up my room hoping to be at least remembered for being neat and organized. In the evening I had a shower and then made pink lemonade. I gathered up my collection of drugs and poured myself a glass of the lemonade. I contemplated the word lemonade, its two phonetic parts; lemon and aid. Was there some hidden meaning in this choice? And what about the colour? I swallowed the pills down with the pink hidden meaning and woke up three days later.

So what now?

I went to emergency and told them what I'd done. I thought I should make sure (hadn't damaged any internal organs. Is there such a thing as external organs? Maybe, I don't know. I was led to a softly lit room. They took blood samples. They asked what drugs I'd taken and warned me about the dangers of Fentanyl. They asked if! heard voices. I thought of telling them I could hear their voices. Instead I told them that I almost wished I heard voices, anything that might help guide me and let me know what to do next. I was acutely aware of their mandate for preserving life. We were diametrically opposed.

As I sat on the edge of my bed listening to her cry and watching the curtain, I thought about Monet's Water ,.. Lilies. More precisely, I thought about the water in the Water Lilies, how it mirrors the sky and the clouds. Of how such a small and shallow body of water could reflect such an infinite depth. And I wondered; when the warm breeze and the whir of dragon flies pass over that body, holding both the sky and the water lilies, if I let my fingertips break the tension of the surface, would the small ripples let me know?

B Robert Rose

2nd You Are Loved

Blue is not true To hug a tree is free Smile for awhile To augh is not daft Giggle while you wiggle Dance & prance like You're in France Sing a tune like you're on the moon Make some art & share your heart Sleep rather than weep Dream rather than scream Give your self a gift A gift of Life P.S. Stay beautiful at heart Know that you loved.

Priscillia Tait Gitxsan - witsuwet' en

Ode To Canada Geese

Canada Geese are revered more In Kanada than elsewhere!

Would Trump republicans not revere them? They'd instead revere Paul Revere!

Canada Geese be not pests, but noble creatures, their V formations like a ballet.

They soar high above all flags, cities overconsuming humans, horseless carriages.

They rightfully ignore artificial national boundaries and clogged polluted roads.

Wish i was one of their flock, then i'd need no passport!

I'd glide over trumps amerika, dropping bird bombs on white house! macdonalds!

So never under-rate Canada Geese, they improve the cloudy windy skies. john alan douglas

Look Into Her Eyes

By Geeta D. Shinde I sit down to catch up on my daily ration of water. I like the way the sunbeams fall heavily down upon people with a knowledge of our universe, beyond what we can understand. I remember to apply some sunscreen, as current research in skincare suggests, but I don't want to. instead, I decide to bask in the daylight a while longer.

To my right a faint sound makes me turn my head to see a woman. "Can I sit here?" she asks with a young voice of innocence. "Of course you can", I reply. I try to focus on her face, to search for the person behind the young voice. Without my glasses on that's usually how it is. I fmd her eyes. Her deep-set aqua blue eyes gleam with flecks of gold and green, commanding a natural reflection of sunlight, unlike anything I have seen before. They reveal pain and struggle of a depth unknown to me, confidence filled with pride from a source I cannot identify, and an age much older than I originally thought. I could not pull my gaze away, I was stunned by the clarity of her character, simply presented. I pause to glance at her without imposing upon her to share more than what she can with me. I am no one really, just another person in a free, open, and public space.

I realize I do not know everything, I realize I do not understand everything, even if the answer is right there in front of me, staring blatantly and blankly at me in the face with some expectation. I briefly look away to catch my breath. My entire lifetime will not enable me to understand what the woman in front of me has been through. Her eyes are telling.

She asks me for money to buy some food. She opens up her hands to accept anything I can offer, a loaf of bread maybe, a vegetable, a couple offruits, or if she's lucky, one or two bills that she can crumple into a fist.

I notice her hands waiting as if they might receive something she needs. She has a thin, frail, yet muscular frame with surprisingly large hands that are tough-skinned and tanned with dirt gathered into the deep lines and crevices of her knuckles, fingernails, and cuticles. I gather she has not bathed in some time and has not accessed a proper restroom, although I am sure she knows how to use one. 1 don't know what stops her. "No, sorry I can't. I hope you find whatever you are I ooking for", I say. Like a little girl, she pouts, ~'" exacerbated by her circumstances, unsure of An afu:moon of choral music what to do as she starts to shake uncontrollably • with disappointment. Her eyes shine with hope and caroling [or mental heaLth though.

We exchange a few more words before she Afternoon Delight leaves our conversation. She leaves with enThe Highs &. Lows Choir ough hope to continue for a while longer until I see her again weeks later walking on the street The Kettle Choir sidewalk, as her greasy sandy brown hair with soft white strands catches the midday breeze.

Sunday December 8, 2019 at 3:00 PM

Winter Sinatng.

Kaslo Gardens Commalt Room 2765 Coo~ljve Way

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\'ViUt tlU;(lk~f(fr the~n f-IJnisrry of Mental He<:mnrntd"At1JktU:ms (mJ the City. ofVaru:;(JIlit'ef, as well as many donors FiSt lii>ey01{

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http://highsalldlowscboir.ca

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Just' WANtE!> 10 oet BAc/< 1'0 'SJlcooi.' ANP PASS rH! 1fsf,I1Al<t flit GMT>, IJ..fJ~N MY LIFe Atv oVeR AGAIN.",

We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and this News/etter, are occurring on Coast Sal ish Territory.

401 Main Street

V¥loCOl.I~1

r.a".ad3 'leA 2T7 {6(4) 665-22a.G

THIS NEWSLETIER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter -Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry.

-Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 %')wide x 15cm(6')high.

-Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered.

-Black & White printing only.

-Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit).

-All artists will receive credit for their work.

-Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication.

-Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity, but not at the expense of the writer's message.

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 604-665-2289 Website carnegienewsletter.org Catalogue carrmews@vcn.bc.ca em ail carnnews@shaw.ca

Jenny Kwan MP Vancouver

East NDP

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Critic 2572 E Hastings

St

Vancouver, BC V5K IZ3 T: 604-775-5800 F: 604-775-5811

Next issue: SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Noon, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION • •

AIDS POVERTY

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HOMELESSNESS

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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

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TOTALITARIAN CAPtT ALlSM

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IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR

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DONATIONS 2019 In memory of Bud Osborn $5 Drew Craig H.-$500 Barry M.1$250 Laurie R.-$100 In memory of those who passed in 2018 -$10 Elaine V.-$1 00 Glenn B.-$500 Barbara L -$50 Laila B.-$100 Michele C-$100 Michael C-$200.Douglas Z.-$10 Penny G.-$50 Tom H.$80 Farmer Family Foundation Anonymous -$1600 Jacqueline G.-$1000 Vancouver Moving Theatre -$1050 The Farm -$150 / Margot B-$200 Jean S -$500 RE -$25 Les N -$10 ~ Peter F -$100 Deleine C -$50 Sheila B -$100 ( Garry G -$25 Jane M -$50 Michelle R -$40 Yukiko T -$30 Aiden S -$10 Sharon J -$65 Anita D -$60 taylor s -$40

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