Do you remember the times when you would walk into your house, after not being there for a long time, and would say “home sweet home”. I’m really going to appreciate this saying when I get home tonight. This experience has been amazing but I know the last 5 days only skimmed the surface of a much bigger challenge many people face on an everyday basis for much longer periods of time: months, years, an entire lifetime.

I am proud of the awareness we have raised as a community, both regionally and nationally. I want to thank Evan and Sam for being such dedicated and caring people during these past 5 days. I will remember the 5 days I spent with both of you for the rest of my life.

I am very thankful that throughout the week I was fortunate enough to know I would be going home after 5 days. I am very sad for those people who don’t have the same opportunity.

For these reasons, I will continue working towards the eradication of homelessness. Until the problem has disappeared, I will dedicate my time to visit shelters, soup kitchens and do whatever it takes to add some hope in the lives of these people. That is the same hope that got me through the 5 days. I want to provide positive change for the many people that deal with this problem on a daily basis.

Once again, thanks everyone who supported us throughout the week, the planning committee, and the participants. Thanks for the difference you have made, thanks for changing my life.

It has been a few days since the campaign ended and I have had some more time to reflect on the whole experience. Here is what I have come up with. Please bare with me as some of this may be regurgitation of things I have written in the past…

Many of my thoughts have stemmed from one particular issue that I noticed during the 5 days. The more real  we tried to make our experience outside as participants, the more support we got from our peers and the community. This added support, in turn, made the experience even less real than what it had been before we tried to be hard on ourselves.

I have been thinking about this phenomenon for a while and I think it comes down to perception. We were the benevolent do-gooders (if you will) trying to make things right in the world. In our society, there is never enough support for these people. They often attain celebrity status for championing change. On a local level, each one of the 5 Days participants became an overnight celebrity, taking interviews almost daily and appearing on the radio, television, and in newspapers. Furthermore, perfect strangers would not even blink when they brought us home cooked meals at night or hot coffee in the morning.

But what about our friends on the streets who have come on hard times and, often by no fault of their own, have nowhere to turn? Why do we paint them with such a harsh brush even though we know so little about them? Too often we use predetermined perceptions to push these people away, leaving them out in the cold without the compassion that so many strangers shared with me in the past week.

Ask yourself why. I still have not been able to answer that question. I cannot account for my past actions (or rather, inaction) and I would be willing to bet that you would have a hard time explaining yourself too. So why keep ignoring the issue? Next time you see a person sitting on the street on your way to Starbucks, pick up an extra hot drink and sandwich. I am not asking you to open your wallet and blindly throw money around when you cannot tell how it will be spent. I am asking you to bring that toque and scarf you never wear to someone who looks cold. I am asking you to save your Roll Up the Rim winners for the fellow downtown that you walk by everyday. It really is that simple.

If we all took the time to do this just once a week, we would have the best fed, best dressed, and ultimately best supported homeless population in the world. We all saw how moved I was by the support of my community; now imagine what kind of impact a large, constant outpouring of support for the homeless would have. Something as easy as one random act of kindness each week could spark a massive positive change in our community.

Even better, connect with your community’s social programs. Volunteer your time to help make a difference in the lives of everyone around you. From youth reading programs, to minor hockey, to homeless shelters, to meals on wheels, there are thousands of people in our community that can use a hand. These social support programs are here to enhance the lives of our fellow citizens and to strengthen our community as a whole. Who knows when you might find yourself in need of these services. It could be something as common as your son or daughter starting to play sports or something as devastating as you losing your job and your home.

Think of it as insurance. You will likely invest more than you will ever get back. Some people may need more or less help than others, that is the nature of the world we live in. But the point is that when you need somebody to lean on, your community will be there with open arms and you cannot put a price on that. When you volunteer your time and effort to help others, you are strengthening that support network that connects us all as members of this community. Furthermore, your actions and the collective action of your community will set a precedent for the way that people will treat each other in the future. This means that every little thing you do to improve the world you live in will have a lasting positive effect on the generations to come.

I know it may be hard to believe, but I basically just defined the word community for you in a rather convoluted manner. No more, no less. Instead of reading that very long rant, you could have looked up the word community in the dictionary and come to the exact same conclusion about the need to become involved and give back. “Sharing, participation, and fellowship,”  as per definition 1-f  in the American Heritage Dictionary. As citizens of our community, we are bound by the very definition of community to give back.

However, getting involved is a lot harder than you might think. I have realized that it is quite difficult to find an organization that I can really connect with simply because the information about volunteer opportunities is so scattered. As a student who has often wondered how to become involved in the community, I have found it next to impossible to find any listings that could be even remotely described as comprehensive.

I am planning to use all of this positive hype surrounding 5 Days and my position as Vice President of External Relations for the School of Business & Economics Student Council to put together a listing of volunteer opportunities in Waterloo Region for use by ALL students at Laurier. Not only do I want to connect students to these social programs in the region, I want to showcase where our students are at work by tracking our involvement in the community.

Laurier is well known as being one of the more active campuses in Ontario when it comes to student groups and volunteering, but we do not actively encourage and motivate our students to volunteer by recognizing and celebrating our current community outreach volunteers and initiatives.

It is time to change our perspective. It is time to shake things up. I can reach over 3,000 business and economics students with the click of a button and more than 10,000 students with a couple emails. It has never been easier to connect Laurier students with their community.

If ever there was a time for us to step up, if ever there was a time to make a difference in the city that has given us so much, the time is now.

Laurier, let’s show the world what we’re made of… GO HAWKS GO!!!!

This is the end –
This story’s old but it goes on and on until we disappear.

- Play Crack in the Sky, Brand New

It’s official. Just thirty-five minutes ago, the end to a 5 day journey was signified with hugs, congratulations, and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. And wow, did it feel good.

It seems like only yesterday I was rushing back from the airport and trying not to stress-out about my lack of preparation for the week to come. But, the fact of the matter is: it is not yesterday. Yesterday, we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. Yesterday, we believed we were prepared for the challenge ahead.

Yesterday, we had no idea what this campaign would mean.

If I had to try and put into words the things that were done and said to me over the past 5 days, I would be mute. If I had to try and comprehend what I have learned over this week, I would be disabled. And if I had to try and explain what living homeless has felt like, I would be crazy. I would be exactly where I am, right now: mute, disabled, and crazy. I can’t put into words what I’m feeling, I can’t seem to operate properly with my new knowledge, and I know I won’t seem sane with the explanations of my experiences.

But you know, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To Evan & Jeff: Thank you for getting me through this week. You two are some of the most incredible individuals I have ever snuggled with. I have an appreciation for you both that inspires me to be more light-hearted, more open-minded, and incredibly comfortable with the male species. I love you guys, and consider you both two of my closest friends.

To Taylor, Jess, Jenny, Ryan, Rachel, Dani, & John: Our organizing committee. Without you all, none of this success would have EVER been possible. Your dedication to our campaign, passion for the cause, and unbelievable sacrifices this week have moved me to tears. I love you guys too. Know that.

To the volunteers, faculty members, & administration that supported us: You were the cherry on top. You constant words encouragement and offers of help created a solid foundation for the team. I couldn’t have asked for a better support system.

To the Laurier community: Wow. I can’t even describe it any other way. Every moment I spent outside this week further increased my love for this school, and made me so much prouder to be a Laurier student. Your outpouring of food, your consideration for our needs, and you indescribable random acts of kindness have changed me as a person. Thank you, more than you’ll ever know.

To all the people who donated and told friends about the cause: You are the reason we made this campaign so successful. With the hurt and suffering that still goes on so frequently in this world, it is unbelievable to see (first-hand) the selfless acts that are just as present in society. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As I sign off for the day, I can only help but think one thought:

We have made unbelievable steps this week, ones that will surely last for years after we go. And one thing’s for certain – we made one hell of a difference doing it.

Much homeless love. xo

2700 prospective students and their parents are coming to campus today. The university’s administration are really excited about the campaign and are pumping up 5 Days to all of the visitors! It is incredible that the entire school has embraced this campaign and I feel that our main goal of awareness has been a raging success. Not only that, we surpassed our goal of $5000 late last night.

We, as participants, are so proud of our organizing committee and our students, faculty, and administration for all of their support!

After speaking with so many people today, I have come to realize how successful this campaign has been across the country! I want to send a big congratulations out to all of the teams in our ten cities and the national organizing committee!! You’ve done a great job and you should all be very proud!

I am going to go keep talking with people out here. I’ll write again a little bit before our closing ceremonies at seven tonight.

Cheers,
Ev

Every Thursday night is pub night on our campus - so in order to diffuse any sort of drunken issue, we made sure to keep the bongos and geetar going all night.

Around midnight, we were sitting around with some friends who had stopped by to jam with us.  Out of nowhere, we hear someone yell “get a job!” and then we all heard an explosion of snow.  No one realized what had happened until I started to cry.  This insolent individual had hurled a snowball at us - and by snowball, I mean a huge chunk of ice; and the explosion of snow was from the ice smashing right onto my face.  It caught me so off guard that I whipped my neck back in response - for those of you who don’t know me - I broke my neck on May 26th 2007.  Months later, I am still recovering, and sudden movements like that not only hurt me, but they scare me.  The neck & face pain, coupled along the scare upset me (and all of us) a lot.  What hurt us even more is that someone on our very own campus was despicable enough to do such a thing. 

Laurier - I read that something similar happened to you guys - I am appalled that this sort of thing happened at both of our sites.  This type of behavior is uncalled for and so unwarranted.  It breaks my heart to know that some homeless people are harassed verbally and physically with no means of defending themselves. 

TM stopped by again yesterday afternoon and she chatted with me about the impression that the general public have of the homeless.  “They see a homeless person on the street and they think, ‘good, you deserve to be there because it’s your fault.  You screwed up in life and this is the lifestyle that you have made for yourself.  Get a job ya bum’.  But it’s not their fault.  There are SO many reasons as to why they got there.  They could have lost a family member, gotten an illness, gotten kicked out, fired, or gone bankrupt.  If people had the compassion to even stop and ask, they would understand.  Who would choose such a lifestyle anyway?”

I am almost in tears sitting at this computer.  That snowball represented to me just how much it hurts to be misunderstood.  To be ignored.  To be ridiculed.  No one should have to deal with this.  I am honestly overwhelmed.  This has been such an eye opening experience for me and for that I am truly thankful.  I hope to god that people like our shameful snow thrower will one day come to even a fraction of that realization.  In the mean time, I am banking on the laws of karma.  What goes around, comes around.

d. 

Just wanted to send some Laurier pride over your way, as it is Laurier’s Open House today!  Could you think of a more awesome way to end of what has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life?  I know I couldn’t.

As I sit in the clubs office, preparing to face a group of prospective students with grades that are older than my great grandma, I find myself wondering what the group will think of me.  Take a second to ponder this thought:  a group of academically exceptional students are going to be faces with an un-showered, un-groomed, and sleep-deprived Laurier student who is supposed to convince them to enroll in my program.  Tough sell?  I’m starting to think not so much.  The amount of support, both on and off campus, towards our campaign has been more than I ever could have imagined.  Without words of criticism and negative feedback, communities in and around Laurier have banded together to raise over $5,000, in addition to food that is continuing to pile-up in our abode.  It makes me speechless.  Thus, I type.

Last night, which was literally our last night, had to be the highlight of this week so far.  Joining Evan, Jeff, and I were 3 brave souls from Little House Residence (they won the residence challenge of raising the most money - $300+), the Investment Club President, a dear friend of Jeff’s, and an amazing reporter from the Kitchener Record.  From singing along on guitars to eating our body weight in food, I can’t describe to you how strangely sad I was to be waking up knowing that my journey into a completely different life was coming to an end.  As Evan put it so nicely:  “In an extremely odd way, I’m going to miss our home”.  And that’s just it.  It has become our home.

Although I have to run off to impress all the aforementioned students, check out my blog again in a couple hours for a further heartfelt recollection of my homeless experience.

AND DONATE!  We need to blow $5,000 out of the water!!

Loves.

“Cc… cc… cc… hotel.” Ah mom, you’re a doll. Thanks for visiting, and letting me poke fun at your girliness. Oh, and big shout outs to my grandma (Baba)! She’s awesome and brought me some delicious treats.

So, for those of you avid readers of my blog (again, my mom): I apologize for today’s lacking posts. Honestly, I don’t think I can do this anymore. Between my 8:30am classes, group assignments being due mid-afternoon, dinners I had already RSVP’d to, prepping for Laurier Day, and giving 5158 interviews - I AM DEAD. I guess you could say today, I am definitely feeling the effects of one looooong week.

Firstly, our Dean of Business & Economics (Ginny Dybenko) slept out last night! Wow, talk about a riot. She was awesome, and to many people’s surprise, managed to stay out with us until 7:30am this morning! We spent the whole evening laughing (she is a great audience, laughs at all my jokes), eating, and chatting with the odd passerby. I think my favourite times were when Ginny was completely zipped up in her bag and we made her laugh. All you heard was “< giggle giggle > … < silence >” and some bouncing around her cocoon-like bag. Not too long after it turned into “< silence >” and no movement. We knew she was a goner at that point. Anyways, Ginny: THANK YOU! You really did make a huge difference in the campaign!

Well, ladies and gents, I can barely keep my eyes open. I cannot believe that tomorrow is our last day. Did I mention WE SURPASSED OUR $5000 GOAL!?!?!? WOOOOOOOO!!!! That moment, when we hit $5000, well.. that was really what solidified how much this campaign as officially accomplished. Go team.

I’m off to nap/snuggle with my boys, but I promise continuous updates tomorrow from homebase via blackberry. Love and kisses to all my loyal readers.

Soo…word on the street is people think I’m not looking too dirty. Well I have news for you. I am dirty so back off. Who stays clean after 4 days without a shower? As a matter of fact…

• I woke up this morning with enough wax in my ears to build a candle
• My hair had soo much grease in it that I could style the Italian Mafias hair for a month
• I could probably lube a 5 litre engine with the oil coming off my face
• I also realized sweat comes from more than 3 different parts of your body, a lot more
• and yes, the weird smell in the SBE clubs office is coming from Sam, Evan and I

So, next time you think I’m not that dirty, think back to this blog and be honest, I’m a dirty Mofo. It’s no Blue Steel, it’s Derelict.

“Grizzly Adams did have a beard” - Happy Gilmore

Homelessness is definitely not as chique as Mugatu’s fashion line Derelicte (sorry for the Zoolander reference… Jeff and I talked about it today, it rhymes, and I just HAD to say it).

But seriously, it is definitely going to rain and all of the cardboard on our makeshift bed is already really damp. I think we’ll have to go find fresh cardboard or else we will all get very wet tonight. Even though it is a lot warmer, I’d trade rain for a -20 degree night any day.

I’m starting to discover that the weather has a much larger impact on our moods than I had ever imagined. Even when you’re camping, you know that you have a safe, warm tent to go back to. Out here, I’m just trying to come up with ways to stay dry.

We were given a massively huge tarp yesterday, which will help out a lot, but there isn’t much to hang it from, or even much to make a lean-to out of. Perhaps if I find a few more wooden skids, we can fashion some sort of lean-to against the wall of the building. The thought of being cooped up under it all night doesn’t seem too appealing though.

Even though I know that it is our last night, the gloomy weather has put a huge damper on my mood. Grey skies just don’t do it for me. If the colour of the sky wasn’t bad enough, the more humid the air makes the cold bite harder.

I’m all alone in the pit right now, and it would be fair to say that I’m starting to feel a little depressed. To put that into perpective, I’ve only been alone for about an hour. A life alone out on the streets must be pretty unbearable.

I’m going to wrap it up now. We’ve got a reporter from the Kitchener Record coming in an hour or so to spend the night with us so I should probably fix up the bed and get all ready to deal with the rain.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support. It’s the only thing still driving me at this point. That and the need to be dry.

Cheers,
Ev

John Young asked me to take a moment tonight to reflect on the snowball incident of last night. He made an excellent point in our discussion this evening and I think that it is definitely blog worthy.

Last night while the masses were pouring out of the campus pub, some poor unfortunate soul decided it would be funny to toss a snowball into the pit to rattle us up a bit.

Without making any personal judgements about the fellow who decided to take this action, I wanted to outline the broader issue of harrassment and abuse that the homeless on our streets put up with every day.

A snowball is something of mere inconvenience; in many cases, it is hardly more than an alarming sound. But what about the other things? The verbal and physical abuse must be unbearable. Many homeless folks have to put up with being kicked, spat on, yelled at, and ridiculed.

I’ve been trying to write this blog for a while now and have been falling back asleep, so I think I’m going to wrap it up. Just please remember what these folks go through on a daily basis and be a little more considerate in the future.

Cheers,
Evan