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Exeter Times -Advocate
Crossroads
March- 17 , I99!
Page 15
Usborne trip to Tor
By Kate Monk
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
USBORNE TWP. — Toronto may only be a two-hour
drive from Exeter, but as seven Usborne teenagers
learned in February, it's an entirely different world.
Members of the Thames
Road Elimville United
Church youth class, their
teachers and pastor were
in Toronto to take part in
the Toronto Ontario
Opportunities for
Learning and Service
(TOOLS) program from
Feb. 19 21.
Kristy Bray, Brenda
Elford, Robyn
Etherington, Brenda
Miner, Heather Morgan,
Megan Parker and
Heather Parsons were
accompanied by Carolyn Johns, Virginia Warwick and
Rev. Marilyn Carter.
The program is an urban immersion experience that
attempts to increase an understanding of poverty and
the call to Christian service.
Warwick and Johns told the T -A the program was a
way to keep the community's youth interested in their
church and a chance for the teens to "do something
with their own hands."
Warwick explained Usborne Twp. is one of the high-
est income areas in Canada and the trip into the lower
income areas of Toronto opened the eyes of the teens.
"We®hoped the kids would see that side of life and
make choicesin life that they won't end up there,"
Warwick said.
The biggest eye opener for the group came on
Saturday evening during the Street Life
Awareness Program (SLAP).
They were broken into groups of three
and were accompanied by guides who
had lived on the streets for at least
five years and were off the streets
for at least three years. The
guides told about their lives on
the streets and interpreted the
surroundings for them.
The guides took the Usborne
teens and adults out on the streets
of Toronto from 4:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Warwick said.
at that time
of day the
group
expe-
"They fe
f<tt:ac
m
•
InAGINIA
•
nto an eye opener
U
Members of the Thames Road Elimville Church sort through onions at a Toronto food bank during their urban
immersion trip in February.The teens and leaders were joined by members of other another youth group dur-
ing the tedious but necessary task. From left Rev. Marilyn Carter, Brenda Elford, Megan Parker, Kristy Bray,
Virginia Warwick, Carolyn Johns, a food bank volunteer, Robyn Etherington, Heather Morgan, Heather Parsons
and Brenda Miner.
rienced the atmosphere of street life. Prostitution and ment" on the streets and although they were apprehen-
drug deals had already started and homeless people sive about the SLAP activity "no one felt truly unsafe."
were setting up their camps for the night. Johns said adults and teens alike"had a feeling o.
Each participar . was .given $1 to buy her supper. being naive" and learned to be more observant of theft
They could either pool the money or use it individually.
One group, for ex i mple, pooled their• rnoney'lli buy a
loaf of bread and ham.
While on the walk, one group learned what it was like
to be discriminated against when they were refused the
use of a restaurant restroom because they didn't have
any money to buy food.
The rest of the time was spent walking
quickly, not strolling,
Warwick said.
Warwick said
there was
great
excite-
surroundings.
Warwick said there is a "spirit of the street" shared b3
the street people.
"The street people love the pulse," she explained.
Johns agreed.
"It's a terrible way of life but there's a thrill to it, she
said.
The girls were busy throughout the weekend. Theis
itinerary included working and observing at food bank5
and shelters. Warwick and Johns said the soup kitcher
staff stressed the people who came for supper wen
guests and were to be treated with respect.
The group travelled through the city by subway ane
street car, another new experience for many of the girls
and took the train to Toronto. They stayed at th(
Danforth Mennonite Church and had the use of the
church's kitchen.
According to Warwick , the teens would like to do th(
TOOLS program again.
"They felt they got a lot out of it and coulc
see:: they made a difference," she said
adding the girls may get,involved in the Oui
of the Cold program in London.
Warwick said efforts made locally car
help the situation in Toronto where
according to a Maclean's magazine
article, there are 26,000 homeless
people and only 5,000 hostel of
shelter beds. Many street people
aren't from Toronto originally bu.
without services outside Toronto
they end up in Canada's largest city liv-
ing on the street.
The teens started raising funds for
their trip in October. The United Church
London Conference provided some fund-•
ing through the Life Long Learning grant
with the rest raised locally. Costs included
transportation, fold and program fees.
It was a trip the teens and leaders won't
forget. They have already spoken to a United
Church congregation in Stratford and will dc
a presentation at the Elimville United Church
on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Warwick said TOOLS isn't limit-
ed to youth groups. Adults as wel
as families can participate. To fine
out more, call TOOLS coordinato
The entourage from Usborne. Twp. take a break during their weekend on the streets of Toronto. Back from IefcVirginia Warwick, Raga A l p h o n s u s at (416)596
Megan Parker, Kristy Bray and Carolyn johns. From from left Robyn Etherington, Brenda Miner, Rev. Marilyn Carter, Heather Parsons, 9341.
Heather Morgan, Brenda Efford and other participants in TOOLS from Cobourg.
1