Fellow Canadians,
Tragically, my wife died in a car accident four years ago and ever since I have been suffering from depression. I tried to hide from my sadness through alcohol, and it worked until my children were taken away from me and placed in a foster home to protect them from my drinking. This added to my depression and soon I was not able to work or function. You see, I was fired from my previous job and shortly afterwards I lost my house to the bank, as I could no longer afford to pay my bills.
Unfortunately, I have no friends in this area that I could call to help me out of my situation. While my friends are sympathetic, they do not understand my pain and sorrow. Most nights, I sleep on a park bench doing whatever I can to stay warm through my misery. My few blankets are not near warm enough to help me get a decent sleep, and every morning I wake up feeling horrible from sleeping curled up in attempting to stay warm.
I have very few personal belongings, but those possessions I do have include a few blankets, a scarf, a hat and my favourite family photo. This photo gives me some joy and hope when I look at the smiles of my wife and children, remembering better days. I imagine I am in a better place with everyone in my arms. We are so happy, but when I open my eyes I remember it is all just a dream. It is usually at that time I wake up off my park bench and pack everything back into my rusty, old shopping cart and get on with my day.
I do not think at this point I can get off the streets without some assistance. Because of my living arrangements on the streets, employers do not want to hire me. I will admit my appearance and clothing has seen better days. I never thought I would ever have to carry a sign begging for job opportunities on corners to help provide some of my basic needs. You see, I used to own a successful business, until I lost everything as a result of my depression and alcohol use.
If I could ask for one thing of my fellow Canadians, I would ask that you please do not judge me and others for living out of a shopping cart and sleeping on park benches. I was happy, successful and had the perfect family. I cry everyday at the loss of my family. Now that I find myself in this situation, I would ask for more assistance for the homelessness situation here in our community. I would also ask that you show compassion to those like myself and realize how quickly you can lose everything you love in a moment of time.
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