Save The Wesley Day Centre

Sharp Shooters. Treat Me Right. What Works. By William Guyatt Hep C Peer Support Worker... These are titles of CATIEs booklets that combine evidence-based and best-practise information, which is written in the language of the streets. CATIE stands for Canadian Aids Treatment Information Exchange. For a HepC peer, who supports gals and guys in the throes of addiction, these booklets are without parallel. They help to open a conversation. In a word, we HEPC peers show possibilities. We explain blood-borne and body-fluid infections and how to avoid them. We motivate folks to get tested for infections. Moving beyond guilt and shame, we reinforce the idea that drug users have the right to be treated with dignity and respect - by family services, health professionals, paramedics and the police. We speak from the perspective of former users who, step by step, commit to make informed decisions about our health. On the cover of Sharp Shooters is a warning. "Viewer discretion advised. This booklet may offend some viewers as it contains information that may save drug users lives". Sharp Shooters presents a difficult situation. If you are a parent, drug use in itself does not necessarily mean that a child is being abused. Although some people have the childs best interest at heart in reporting you, CATIE advises that they may be trying to control or punish you. If someone threatens your child custody situation, it can be difficult to get help. CATIE stresses the need to contact a crisis line, shelter or harm reduction program for support. HepC peers know intuitively that this is the right thing to do. We know that mothers and fathers are afraid to disclose information - to bring the light of day upon drug use - for fear of losing their kids. CATIEs booklets are a welcome tool in peer support, backing up the the lived experience of peers.

Have you seen our quarterly Zine? Creative outlet, information sharing, and advocacy tool. Check it out! https://www.keepingsix.org/zine

Dr Jill Wiwcharuk: Clearing homeless encampments is now, more than ever, not the solution to the homeless crisis in our city. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has recently issued the following recommendation: Unless individual housing units are available, do not clear encampments during community spread of COVID-19. Clearing encampments can cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease spread. https://www.thespec.com//clearing-out-hamiltons-homeless-c

With a little help from my friend Bill Johnston, I packed a backpack of food, snacks, dry soups, flashlights, wipes, bandages, gloves etc plus a large plastic t...arp and we made our way down to the park behind the Hamilton General Hospital. A group of homeless had moved here after being forced out of the empty parking lot at a local school. I read the Spectator story about Shaggy and his shepherd mixed dogs Chevy and Hachi. As we approached the tents, the dogs acknowledged us with friendly barking. Shaggy gratefully accepted my donation. I promised to be back with blankets, towels and more food. Shaggy didnt know how long they would be allowed to stay but he was never going to abandon his family of dogs.

Or when one is homeless or insecurely housed...

Need more churches to go and do likewise.

As usual, homeless and others are most at risk in the current pandemic.

Women and children have so few places to go, in their hour of need.

Dont forget to come out if you have the means to support it - the fundraiser is today for Carole Annes Place.