Several youth received a lesson in empathy this week as they participated in the Mustard Seed’s DemoCrew program.
For three weeks every July, the inner-city immersion program hosts youth groups from around Canada and the United States for four days at a time.
“Our aim with this program is that they come here and they really have their eyes opened up,” said Byron Bradley, leadership training and support manager for the Mustard Seed.
For Cochrane’s Emmett Larsen, 16, the experience with DemoCrew has been an education.
Along with serving lunch, Larsen said the group lived a day in the life of a homeless person on Tuesday.
“It showed me how much I really take for granted,” he said, adding he felt ignored by many passersby.
Larsen said his first year with DemoCrew has been “really cool,” and he plans to come back next year.
“They leave with a whole new worldview,” said Bradley.
