Campaign a Real Life Changer

In The News
September 14, 2011 –

Campaign a Real Life Changer
John Dickson’s life was changed by the United Way.

He once had a job, he told those gathered Tuesday morning at the United Way’s campaign launch, but he often ran out of money between paycheques.

“If I wanted to have food in my fridge for half of every month, I couldn’t afford some of the other things.”

He said the stigma of being a member of the working poor and “under-housed” caused him loneliness, despair and increasing mental illness.

“Under-housing is going to become a bigger problem than homelessness,” Dickson said. “Under-housing means you have a place to sleep but you don’t have a heck of a lot of other security.”

With the help of Home Based Housing, Dickson told the gathering, he’s been able to rebuild his life and has put down roots.

“I now have a home of my own for the first time in many years,” he said. “I have a garden that’s mine and I can grow my own food.

“I made 60 gallons of compost this year,” said Dickson, to the applause of the crowd.

Home Base Housing is an agency funded by the United Way, and he says the United Way logo has become symbolic in his life.

“It means I can get someone to listen to me, feed me, clothe me and hook me up with mental health issues, so I don’t wind up arrested and in the hospital,” he said.

“I have a garden and a cat and I have a home because someone wanted to go out on a limb for me when they really didn’t have to.”

He said now he has good neighbours and a sense of belonging on his street. He has started a part-time job cleaning houses and washing clothes for his neighbours.

In an interview after the breakfast, Dickson spoke about the circumstances that got him into his situation.

“I came from a family that didn’t have the money to get me in university — those options were not available for me,” he said. “I started working regular jobs,  (but after) a week of your two-week pay period, there was no money.”

“Being under-housed, being shut inside a place with terrible wallpaper, a leaky ceiling and a crappy little bed and neighbours next door who are on crack … you just don’t want to be there after a while and that’s why people wash back up on the street again.

“Having a home through Home Base Housing, and being able to have a garden and do that house-proud kind of stuff, has really slowed me down and helped me find out who I might be.”

On the morning the United Way set a fundraising goal of $3.2 million, campaign chair Les Herr challenged the 2,000 or so volunteers at his disposal to collect more money, especially from the workplace.

“I know each and every one of you understands what the United Way does,” Herr said, but he noted that only about 24% of eligible employees donate to the United Way.

The charitable organization gets 82% of its funding from workplace donations.

“Why would this be so low, given the opportunity to change lives and build communities?” Herr wondered.

“Just imagine what we could achieve if everyone contributed just a little bit.”

Source:  The Kingston Whig Standard, Ian Macalpine