Fredericton Homeless

Fredericton Homeless

Fredericton’s homeless facing loss of street outreach program

The city of Fredericton is facing a problem that so many other cities and towns have experienced before them. The federal funding for a homeless outreach program through the local YMCA has been cut and they can no longer afford to continue to help the individuals who need these services in order to maintain basic life functions. It’s all in a cycle that never seems to connect properly. The homeless are lost, out of touch with what we consider a “normal” society since they do not know exactly their position in the framework that social structure provides. They are relying on the government to give them the structure and assistance they need in order for them to slowly but surely climb back into the ranks of an average citizen yet the government is cutting funding and leaving these poor individuals to fend for themselves. There are volunteers who give their time and assistance when needed but sometimes they can only do so much. Mavis Doucette of Fredericton has done all she can even going as far as to be a liaison between the government and the homeless since they have no fixed address and makes communication difficult. A group of non-profit organizations have been lobbying the government to reprieve the YMCA funding but the soonest it could be brought back up is months from now in the spring which does nothing to help the homeless in the area. The homeless already suffer from the social stigmas placed on them and that decries their status in society almost forbidding them to get ahead or break even possibly without the involvement of government. The article goes on to accurately state that the homeless population is disconnected from society. It obvious this is true when people follow these social stigmas and go out of their way to avoid a homeless person or pretend they don’t have any change to give because they realize these people do not fit into their “social structure”. It is...