This image not showing line up to this door for the privacy of the users.
In my line of work I am exposed to wealth. Those who purchase my paintings generally speaking are from pretty comfortable lives. This is not to say they came from comfort, no, but they have achieved or been given great comforts in life.
This Blog is not going to be about the rich turning their faces from the poor, not at all. Most wealthy families I know and am associated with go to great lengths to share and support where ever they can. Enough about that. Today I am blogging about a special place. Not unlike many special places that do the same function, but to me it is one that stands out in my heart. The Simcoe Hall Settlement House in Oshawa, Ontario.
Oshawa it self is a place of great contrasts. One a major shipping port along the south shore of Lake Ontario, then and still to a large degree a major automotive assembly town, the home of GM Canada, it produces among others, the Camero.
It is no secret that manufacturing in Ontario has had it's share of problems in the past few years and because of the prominence of auto manufacturing in Oshawa, the downturn has been brutal on the town and surrounding area. Whitby, Clarington, Ajax. One thing can be said for the economy of the region is that there has been a major shift over to technology education and jobs. For example, look at UOIT.
The down side has been those who, for many reasons have slipped through the cracks, either because of lack of education, illness, lost bread winner, separation, divorce, and a small percentage due to drug abuse and alcoholism, etc, etc (the reasons go on and on), there have become a large community of people who depend on the services of food banks.
Let me say here and now that I do not do as much as I should to support these islands of hope, and I am making efforts to improve my contribution (in a number of ways).
Lets get to the point of this blog. This morning I was out on my usual drive seeking out photos for my next painting. I was on my way to the Oshawa Port lands because the wind was strong and I knew the waves would be dramatic. Taking Simcoe Street south from Dundas st. I came to the intersection in which a quick left turn would place me directly in front of the Simcoe Hall Settlement House Food Bank. I was not prepared for what I would see. I had been there a few times before dropping off food donations, even helped with boxing hampers. On this day the line up was out the door, down the steps, and a full block down the street. It was cold. The wind was blowing. The sky was grey. The scene could not have seemed bleaker. One by one they filed in to pick up their one box of food supplies. One by one they filed out and down the street carrying their hamper of hope to wherever they called home. I don’t doubt that some were going to nice homes where the bills have simply squeezed groceries off the priority list, but most here were going to homes a bleak as the street they were lined up on.
One of the most heart breaking sights are the children. I chose not to show them in the shots I am posting but knowing there were children in that line up who were hungry. Here in Canada. That is a topic all of it’s own merit. That is a tragedy and a burden we should all take on our shoulders.
Why would I take pictures of this scene? Why would I post those pictures here? There is one more aspect to this story that I also have chosen not to post. It is the well known coffee shop with a massive drive through just on the south side of the railway tracks from the food bank. Their drive through gives plain view to all who use it of the long cold line up at the Food bank. I did not ask and I am certain I would not have been given a straight answer if I did ask, but they have covered up the fence which separates their drive through so that, it seems to me, the coffee thirsty drivers won’t have to see that food bank line up. There may be another reason for the “cover up” but I can see it is pretty starkly obvious.
Here’s my suggestion to the Coffee outlet: rig up a basket below your drive through pick up window, take down the tarp blocking the view, let the drivers see the line up of those who are desperate, and let the drives feel the motivation to drop a coin or two in the basket for the food bank. Then, at the end of every day have one of your employees drop that basket off at the food banks office so they can do more of what they so wonderfully do.
We all can do more. Not just the famous coffee outlet. We all can donate food or bucks to these food banks. May we all remember that anyone of us are just a lost job, stroke or sudden trauma away from standing in that line up. May we reach out and support in any way we can. Not all will be rich. But not all have to be hungry. None should be hungry in this great land. No where in this great land of prosperity and wealth.
RM
In my line of work I am exposed to wealth. Those who purchase my paintings generally speaking are from pretty comfortable lives. This is not to say they came from comfort, no, but they have achieved or been given great comforts in life.
This Blog is not going to be about the rich turning their faces from the poor, not at all. Most wealthy families I know and am associated with go to great lengths to share and support where ever they can. Enough about that. Today I am blogging about a special place. Not unlike many special places that do the same function, but to me it is one that stands out in my heart. The Simcoe Hall Settlement House in Oshawa, Ontario.
Oshawa it self is a place of great contrasts. One a major shipping port along the south shore of Lake Ontario, then and still to a large degree a major automotive assembly town, the home of GM Canada, it produces among others, the Camero.
It is no secret that manufacturing in Ontario has had it's share of problems in the past few years and because of the prominence of auto manufacturing in Oshawa, the downturn has been brutal on the town and surrounding area. Whitby, Clarington, Ajax. One thing can be said for the economy of the region is that there has been a major shift over to technology education and jobs. For example, look at UOIT.
The down side has been those who, for many reasons have slipped through the cracks, either because of lack of education, illness, lost bread winner, separation, divorce, and a small percentage due to drug abuse and alcoholism, etc, etc (the reasons go on and on), there have become a large community of people who depend on the services of food banks.
Let me say here and now that I do not do as much as I should to support these islands of hope, and I am making efforts to improve my contribution (in a number of ways).
Lets get to the point of this blog. This morning I was out on my usual drive seeking out photos for my next painting. I was on my way to the Oshawa Port lands because the wind was strong and I knew the waves would be dramatic. Taking Simcoe Street south from Dundas st. I came to the intersection in which a quick left turn would place me directly in front of the Simcoe Hall Settlement House Food Bank. I was not prepared for what I would see. I had been there a few times before dropping off food donations, even helped with boxing hampers. On this day the line up was out the door, down the steps, and a full block down the street. It was cold. The wind was blowing. The sky was grey. The scene could not have seemed bleaker. One by one they filed in to pick up their one box of food supplies. One by one they filed out and down the street carrying their hamper of hope to wherever they called home. I don’t doubt that some were going to nice homes where the bills have simply squeezed groceries off the priority list, but most here were going to homes a bleak as the street they were lined up on.
One of the most heart breaking sights are the children. I chose not to show them in the shots I am posting but knowing there were children in that line up who were hungry. Here in Canada. That is a topic all of it’s own merit. That is a tragedy and a burden we should all take on our shoulders.
Why would I take pictures of this scene? Why would I post those pictures here? There is one more aspect to this story that I also have chosen not to post. It is the well known coffee shop with a massive drive through just on the south side of the railway tracks from the food bank. Their drive through gives plain view to all who use it of the long cold line up at the Food bank. I did not ask and I am certain I would not have been given a straight answer if I did ask, but they have covered up the fence which separates their drive through so that, it seems to me, the coffee thirsty drivers won’t have to see that food bank line up. There may be another reason for the “cover up” but I can see it is pretty starkly obvious.
Here’s my suggestion to the Coffee outlet: rig up a basket below your drive through pick up window, take down the tarp blocking the view, let the drivers see the line up of those who are desperate, and let the drives feel the motivation to drop a coin or two in the basket for the food bank. Then, at the end of every day have one of your employees drop that basket off at the food banks office so they can do more of what they so wonderfully do.
We all can do more. Not just the famous coffee outlet. We all can donate food or bucks to these food banks. May we all remember that anyone of us are just a lost job, stroke or sudden trauma away from standing in that line up. May we reach out and support in any way we can. Not all will be rich. But not all have to be hungry. None should be hungry in this great land. No where in this great land of prosperity and wealth.
RM
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