Carl – “She said just wait here grandpa. I was like, why. She said I have a surprise for you. I was like all right.. She came back holding a baby. I thought she was babysitting for somebody! I’m like ookkay granddaughter. Who are babysitting for? She just burst out laughing. She’s like Grandpa, that’s my baby. I was like oh.my.god. She smiled, yes grandpa, you are a grandparent already. Okay. This was my first great granddaughter I held on to” …

Sarah – “(I have 3 kids). We go for walks all the time. We walk to my aunties. She only lives 5 blocks away from us. It’s just me and the kids” …

Kylie – “Trying to figure this out. I have all my education and everything. I’m so used to working. I’m in a rut right now. (I have my) Business Admin and my first year in Psychology. Didn’t take me too far though.” …

Laura – “I help out whatever I can, my little cheque of welfare I get. And I give it to her (her daughter) and I buy the food or whatever they need. I worry about my grandkids. As long as my grandkids have food and a shelter over their heads, that’s all I care. Sometimes they run out of food. Sometimes I have to go back out on the street and I panhandle. I have to swallow my pride and tell people I’m hungry and I’m homeless and I have grandkids that need food. It takes me a while to ask people for money. It’s hard. It’s hard to live that kind of life. I’m not ashamed anymore. I have to do what I have to do to survive. And for my grandkids and my family.” …

Mike – “I help with the housing team to house people and the moves. Help them move in and move out. Help them move into a new place (that would be fun) It is fun. And see their emotions in their faces. (Have you ever had to live on the street?) I did for two years. It’s tough. Especially in winter. (What did you do to survive in the winter?) Find the warmest parkade ever. Hope security doesn’t kick you out.” …

Len – “Jesus is the most amazing person to ever walk this work. He found me in the year 2000 (What happened in the year 2000?) He came into my life. I was hurting and something happened to me, I can’t explain it, you have to experience it for yourself. The Holy Spirit changed me.” …

Justin – “When I got out I found myself alone on the street and not able to trust anybody. Not because of drugs, because simply I had been put in a @#$% situation. (So what gets you through day to day?) Just making.. one person smile, that’s it.” …

Rhonda – ” I have a home now. But when I was homeless I slept anywhere. With my foster brother, I stuck close to my foster brother to make sure nobody bothered him. And I taught him how to fight. Yeah, we panhandled. (What do those words on your sign mean to you?) Happy that I’m, I have a home. That I’m free from poverty. And when I was out there I was lonely. Except I had my little brother. We were always lonely so we stuck by eachother.” …