Without money, food, showers or a place to sleep, six University of Alberta students have begun a five-day journey to walk a mile in tattered shoes worn by thousands of area homeless people.
“The point isn’t to show the world we can do it — it’s to raise money and awareness for those who live it as a reality,” said business student Tyler Shapka.
Five Days for the Homeless began yesterday, an initiative to shine a spotlight on homelessness — especially among youth.
Officials say the issue of homeless children is getting worse. Youth Emergency Shelter executive director Deb Cautley says younger kids — around age 11 — are wandering in off the streets every day.
The shelter is at capacity every night, with a list of teens waiting to jump into beds as they become available.
“A lot of them are in the ravine, parkades, or hiding in apartment building laundry rooms until morning,” she said. “That’s when predators strike, and kids start having survival sex in order to have a place to stay.”
This morning, officials will announce a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the province.
According to the Edmonton Committee to End Homelessness, the number of displaced locals has increased by 125 per cent since 2000. A recent count revealed 3,079 people are homeless in Edmonton, 62 per cent of whom are absolutely homeless.
Cautley feels the numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, because transient kids are counted only where they can be found, in places like shelters and drop-in centres.
She added the economic climate is displacing entire families: “Their parents are also in shelters.”
All donations will directly benefit the Youth Emergency Shelter. For more information, visit www.fivedays.ca.
