HOMELESSNESS ACTION WEEK

The project

We worked with our Lived Experience Advisory Panel and using Participatory Narrative Inquiry methods gathered over 80 stories and ideas from community members across Vancouver- both housed and unhoused. These stories speak powerfully to the fact that every experience of homelessness is unique and that listening to those with lived expertise is the first step in challenging harmful misconceptions and developing different ideas and models for support. 

Stories

Working with our Lived Experience Advisory Panel, we developed a story gathering process grounded in participatory narrative inquiry. Over 80 community members across Vancouver shared their stories and expertise. We are keeping our online form open for anyone who would like to share a story or experience with us and we are inviting new members to join our Lived Experience Advisory Panel. To join, contact us at info@forsocialchange.org or 604-440-4423. Click here to share a story or contact us directly.

Dialogue

We held a virtual event during October’s Homelessness Action Week- Join the Conversation- which invited a range of audiences to come together and engage in dialogue about the stories. Attendees joined from across Canada and were intergenerational. During the session attendees engaged in stories and talked about the role of empathy in shaping approaches to homelessness at multiple levels of society. Attendees left with increased understanding about the diversity and nuances of homeless experiences and the role that empathy plays in shaping mental models held about those who we label as homeless in society. Want to stay up to date with future events and conversations? Sign up to our HAWs newsletter Continuing Conversations below.

Social Media

We ran a Homelessness Action Week social media campaign which amplified the voices, stories, and opinions of those with lived experience and targeted key actors to engage and listen, such as government, universities, journalists and community organisations.