First United Church at Hastings and Gore in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is not your typical comfortable-pew, middle-class church. In fact it doesn't have pews or any notion of catering to the middle classes.
Compared to most churches, First United has a decidedly different take on its mission. First United doesn't present itself as a moral compass, or wear any of the usual trappings of self-anointed Christian virtue.
Rather First United works with street people. It turns no one away and is the refuge of last resort for the most marginalized on the Downtown Vancouver Eastside.
It is not a pleasant place. Most of those seeking help have serious mental-health or addiction issues or both. What was once the Church sanctuary is now stacked with bunk beds. People seeking shelter and refuge come and go with no questions asked. Meals are provided as well as other support services.
I've visited the Church a few times and I never fail to come away with the utmost awe and respect for those who work and volunteer at First United. They work under the most trying conditions.
Kudos as well to the United Church of Canada; instead of walking away from one of Vancouver's most troubled and desperate neighborhoods, it dedicated its property to helping Vancouver's poorest, then rolled up its sleeves and went to work helping those who have no place left to turn.
Fast forward to last week; I was in Vancouver walking down Georgia Street by the Art Gallery and came across the assembled masses on the Art Gallery grounds. It was the local Occupy crowd, declaring they were the 99 per cent and generally making a mess.
My first thought was what a disgusting group; they're degrading public property, they're an unnecessary expense to the Vancouver taxpayer and there will be absolutely no social benefit from their actions.
There were about 50 tents, the protesters looked able-bodied and able-minded and there was the typical array of uninspired protest placards.
City officials say rats are becoming a problem at the site and the cost of the Art Gallery lawn occupation totaled $550,000 as of Monday. The city is supplying water, power, porta-potties and police surveillance.
City housing coordinator Judy Graves said most of the occupiers go home at night to wash, do their laundry and sleep in a warm bed. She also said there are few truly homeless people staying at the sight. Given the increasing presence of rats, I can't say I blame them. If anything, homeless people are resourceful.
Looking at all this - and thinking about First United, as well as other truly effective social organizations - I thought, what's wrong with this picture?
Here we have a conglomerate of unfocused, unproductive, yet non-indigent do-nothings taking control of a public site while just a few kilometers away people are quietly working and volunteering under the most trying of
circumstances to help out the less
fortunate.
The Art Gallery occupiers have no message, no solutions and clearly no ambition. Yet they have no compunction about racking up costs to the Vancouver and B.C. taxpayer for their pointless time in the sun.
It's time for the Art Gallery protesters to find a real cause. Here's a timely bit of advice, sell your trendy Mountain Equipment Co-op tents and give the proceeds to a food bank.
And on the way to the protest, after a warm bath and a cozy night at home, drop off a bar of soap, towels, and a tube of toothpaste to First United Church at East Hastings and Gore.
You've probably never been there, but it's 320 East Hastings. Granted, it's a rough area, not nearly as inviting as Georgia and Howe, but if you really want to make a difference you need courage.
While you're there, ask a homeless person, or a drug-addicted hooker - who's probably in her 20s but looks like she's 50 - if you can help them get straightened out. Volunteer to help a mentally ill person take their medications on time. Or perhaps just go in to the Church and ask if you could help out washing dishes or changing bed sheets.
Why not, you've obviously got lots of spare time.
In the meantime leave the Vancouver Art Gallery to the majority of residents who want to enjoy the site for what it is.
Find a real cause; help someone who can actually benefit from your up-to-now misdirected energy.
Forget the protest, the Art Gallery lawn and the city-supplied porta-potties. Instead see if there's someplace where you can truly make a difference.
You'll feel better, plus you'll meet
nicer people and far fewer rats.
