
At the heart of Ouellette Avenue, the Downtown Mission once again opened its doors for the annual 24-hour event “Bench Talk.” The gathering is a vibrant concurrence of community activists, volunteers, and thought leaders who join hands with Director Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, alongside Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino.
The event aims to give visceral insight into the lives of those less fortunate, who find themselves with no option but to sleep on public benches, regardless of the weather. While Ponniah-Goulin expressed gratitude for the mild weather of this year’s assembly, she stressed that many homeless individuals aren’t afforded that luxury of choice.
The Downtown Mission’s “Bench Talk” is more than a mere event – it’s a call to action, an opportunity for community members to engage with welfare advocates and leaders, learn about the mission’s work, and incrementally comprehend the reality of homelessness. It urges discourse around the escalating number of homeless individuals across the city, a figure that doesn’t seem to cease its climb.
This outdoor tradition of spending 24 hours began years ago as a powerful demonstration of the dire need for affordable housing, and to foster fruitful conversations around potential solutions. The impact of this humanitarian crisis is evident in the doubled usage of the mission’s program in just the past year. Currently, their food bank serves over 2,000 people monthly, while dishing between 300-600 meals per day.
Alarmingly, there has been a significant increase in young and older families seeking assistance. Ponniah-Goulin sadly recounts images of parents with children arriving at the food bank, hungry and desperate.
It’s not only families feeling the squeeze; Ponniah-Goulin states that the usage of the Windsor Youth Centre has also seen a two-fold increase from last year. Now, about 200 young individuals benefit from their services every month. The funds collected from this year’s event, she mentions, will be used to replace the mission’s recently broken dishwasher.
As the conversations unfolded, Fulger Transport made a generous pledge, promising to donate $5,000 monthly over the next year to the Mission. Quite acquainted with charitable giving, Zach Dorland, the Human Resources Manager, asserts that the unforgiving reality of homelessness needs a collective effort from the community.
Greg Lemay and Natalie Bourgoin, community members who helped spearhead the event, assert that these events not only raise funds but also raise awareness about the struggles of the city’s most vulnerable. Bourgoin talks passionately about the power of authentic conversations, which can not only raise awareness but can also create connectivity through shared resources and connections. “One conversation with the right person can move mountains – it’s all about the ripple effect,” she observes.
Lemay agrees, expressing that these in-person discussions are more effective than digital communication, and the recurring participation of community members in these events is a testament to their success. Clearly, these hands-on, face-to-face conversations work – and they’ve got the results to prove it.