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Kamloops  

PHOTOS: A Way Home Kamloops on track to hit $50K after successful youth camp out

Rare is the homeless person who gets to string Christmas lights from their tent at night or roast marshmallows over a propane fire.

But while the participants of A Way Home Kamloops' third annual camp out to end youth homelessness know that their one-night experience isn't reflective of the real thing, the hope is that it will shed some light on an issue that is sometimes out of sight.

"I think the biggest takeaway is that even though we're here tonight, we really haven't ever experienced homelessness," says Jodi Hutton. "It's really just, we're here to bring awareness, whether that's a conversation with a friend or something further than that, it's just bringing awareness to people."

"There's just so much that you don't know and don't realize, even the couch-surfing and you don't realize how much of it is out there," says Linda Hutton, Jodi's mother. 

The pair took part in their first camp out on a mild, damp evening last night (Dec. 13) at McDonald Park. The Huttons personally raised almost $1,000 to help fund the organization's youth housing first program. 

The yearly fundraiser provides a huge chunk of A Way Home's yearly funding while giving participants a chance to see what life is like for homeless youth, not just through the camp out, but through stories of shared experience. 

Coun. Kathy Sinclair has taken part in every camp out.

"I think developing empathy is really what it's all about," she says. "I try not to read Facebook comments too much because sometimes I don't see a lot of that empathy, but I think it's up to each one of us to help educate each other on things we don't know about. The next time you hear someone calling a homeless person by a name or saying they should just get a job, try to explain some of the things we heard tonight from the youth in lived experience. Hearing those stories... and the reasons that young people leave their homes and situations they're coming from, it's a lot more complicated than a lot of people realize."

It was a huge week for A Way Home Kamloops. Not only are they on track to hit their fundraising goal of $50,000 after a slow start, but they opened up their Safe Suites house on Monday (Dec. 9).

"It feels like a dream, I just can't even believe it," says executive director Katherine McParland. "On Monday, we had four youth move out of homelessness into Safe Suites. It was so precious. I went to the house and they were baking a cake and you walk in the door and it feels like home. They've all got big smiles on their face and one young person said this is the first time since ageing out of the foster care system that they've had a good sleep. That's been the most meaningful part; that and just seeing the community come together for camp out and knowing that we'll be able to continue this work next year. Although we've helped a couple youth, there's so much more: there were 75 kids last year we were unable to help."

During the opening presentations, there was also a moment of silence for three youth that died over the last year.

Though the camp out is now over for another year, you can still donate to A Way Home Kamloops by visiting CanadaHelps.



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