Escaping Homelessness and Becoming​ Sober – a guest blog post by Makenna Carl

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with a remarkable grade 12 student, Makenna Carl,  who wanted to suspend judgment and seek to understand homelessness.  Today, she sent me a copy of her final paper that she submitted for credit in Psychology 12.  My heart is full.  Please take time to read through as Makenna’s work is thorough, thoughtful and most importantly, inspiring.  Our future is in good hands.

Escaping Homelessness and Becoming Sober

The issue of homelessness and addiction is a massive problem on the Downtown Eastside. For years, driving down East Hastings I felt bad but more than anything scared. I had this twisted perception of how homeless people were. I thought that they were dangerous people I should stay far away from. Sadly, society generally thinks the same way. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to go and interact with those…