Let’s Fix Homelessness … Now: PATTON

I too am interested in helping our homeless population. The city of Ottawa doesn’t seem to have a plan to deal with this issue so a couple of weeks ago I called one of the agencies who regularly send requests for donations to my home. I spoke with a pleasant young lady who told me I could make a donation or help out in the kitchen. When I explained the skillset I possess goes beyond serving food and was willing to work for free with people within the organization on programs to help the homeless, she put me on hold while she presumably consulted with someone else. When she returned to our discussion she reiterated that my options were to make a donation or help out in the kitchen. While her response was polite, I was left with the feeling that the people she spoke to had drawn their line in the sand and I was now stepping into their turf. I’m sure that some of the issues the homeless experience result from problems at city hall, however, the agencies themselves need to be more open-minded when it comes to listening to solutions they night not have considered. Shutting people down at reception is a bad look for any organization looking for assistance.