Connecting Community During the 7^th Annual
Homelessness Action Week

Both the City of Nelson and the Provinceof British Columbia have proclaimed October 12 to 19 Homelessness Action Week. During these seven days, the Nelson Committee on Homelessness ramps up its activities to raise awareness and start actions to end homelessness. This year, NCOH is coordinating several events that will connect our community to the issues and to each other so that we can make homelessness and poverty history.

Bruce Morrison, from Investors Group, Osprey Community Foundation and the 2003 Nelson Citizen of the Year, is the Honourary Chair this year. “Ending homelessness in our region takes the entire community working together on a variety of issues,” notes Morrison. “I am very pleased to be
working with NCOH to bring people together.”

Events during this week include:

October15:
Homes End Homelessness Community Forum. NCOH is presenting the film Homelessness: the “Housing First” Approach, followed by a panel and audience discussion. The event is located at the TnT Theatre on Carbonate and Ward Streets. Doors open at 7:00pm and film starts at 7:30pm. All are welcome.

October16:
Honorary Chair Bruce Morrison invites the business community to join him for lunch to talk about the relationship between affordable housing and employee recruitment, retention and reliability. Arrive at the Best Western Baker Street Grill for 11:30am to order lunch and talk about housing affordability’s impact on our local economy, and what local businesses can do.

October 17:
STAND for Housing is a noon-hour rally where participants are looking to break last year’s Guinness World Record for the most people to stand up for a single cause in one day. Last year 43 million people around the world stood up. Join everyone in front of City Hall to beat the world record. To keep warm, soup from Ariah’s Edible Creations will be served.

October 18:
Community Connect Day starts at 10:00am at Central School Gym and runs until 4:00pm. This event features a variety of services that help both homeless people and those struggling to make ends meet. Individuals and families are welcome to access services, relax in the café and get municipal voter information. All day, guests can also enjoy delicious food prepared by volunteers from the Nelson United Church, St. Saviour’s Anglican Church and served up by the Nelson Leafs and the West Kootenay Wildcats.

Homeless Action Week events are sponsored by the Nelson Committee on Homelessness and made possible by the Government of Canada and the many services, volunteers and community groups from Nelson and area.

For more information, phone 250-551-1104.