Homelessness challenge gives Ottawa students ‘glimpse’ into realities of future clients

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A group of Algonquin College students got a brief glimpse into the realities of some of their future frontline clients at this weekend’s 24-hour homelessness challenge in downtown Ottawa.

Those realties were all too familiar for one student, 36-year-old John Wurtz, who’s coming up on six years sober after dealing with addiction issues for most of his adult life.

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“I’ve been dealing with addiction for most of my life since I was 16,” said Wurtz, who said his time spent in the restaurant industry “had a lot to do” with his addiction issues. “I was looking for a career change, and I wanted to help people, just like there were people to help me when I needed it. I wanted people to know if they’re struggling with addiction, they are not alone.”

Wurtz was one of 12 college students who spent the night camped out in Minto Park near Elgin Street on Friday as part of Algonquin’s community and justice services program. The program raises funds for Operation Come Home, which offers drop-in programs, employment, education, housing, mental health and harm reduction resources for at-risk youth.

Students have participated in the fundraiser for the last 14 years, said Algonquin professor Cat Baron.

“Our graduates work on the front line with some of the most marginalized populations of our community — shelters, halfway homes, group homes, jails. Wherever people with mental health issues, with addictions, with trauma, come to get services, that’s where our graduates are,” said Baron.

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“Overnight we had a lot of really amazing conversations with community members and people with lived experience. That really adds to the richness of this experience, gaining that perspective from a human being. It’s hard not to be compassionate when somebody is standing right in front of you saying, ‘This is my life every day.’

The students get a very small glimpse into the realities of their future clients, Baron said. “I believe that builds a lot of compassion and understanding, because when you’re able to look at life from another person’s perspective, that’s a very powerful lesson.”

Learning those lessons was an eye-opening experience for Wurtz and the other students.

“When I was younger I was very ignorant and I would treat people on the streets like they didn’t exist,” Wurtz said Saturday afternoon, near the end of the 24-hour event.

“When I started getting sober and grew up, I realized how wrong that was. Being here last night, seeing people walking by and not even acknowledging you — some of them were even mocking us — it gave me that perspective. I was that person to the person sitting on the park bench.”

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The only difference between a person sitting on the street corner and the person walking by is the current situation they’re in, said Wurtz. “At any given moment that person could be homeless the next day.”

Mackenzie Desjardins, 26, said she was struck by the reactions of people who passed by the encampment in the downtown park.

“The way people passing by would look at you — we’re out here fundraising but people would either just ignore you or look at you like you’re nothing,” she said.

“I couldn’t imagine being someone who is actually on the streets. That feeling of people not caring about you… and trying to put myself in their shoes, it was very sad, it was heartbreaking.”

ahelmer@postmedia.com

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