‘I cannot . . . sit back and say it’s not my problem’
Cheryl Chan
Province
Ron Josephson outside the Pender Hotel on West Pender Street. Money from the ‘Give a Dollar, give a damn!’ campaign started by Josephson will go toward the conversion of the hotel from 40 units to 23 larger, self-contained housing units, after which it will be renamed Gratitude House. Photograph by: Arlen Redekop, The Province
Thirty years ago, Ron Josephson fought for the rights of oppressed black communities in apartheid South Africa.
Now a commercial barrister in Vancouver, he’s taken a two-month sabbatical to harness his energies to a different cause: ending homelessness in Vancouver.
“I don’t have any answers, but I can tell you I cannot do nothing,” said Josephson. “I cannot live this most wonderful life in one of the best cities in the world and sit back and say it’s not my problem.”
Along with a crew of dedicated volunteers, Josephson has launched Gratitude Week, set to start Thanksgiving Monday, which aims to provide a means for average citizens who want to do their part.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in Vancouver who doesn’t want to make a difference to end homelessness,” said Josephson. “They just don’t know how.”
From Tuesday to Friday, booths will be set up at the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza, which will also host lunch-hour keynote speakers (including housing minister Rich Coleman and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson) and public forums on homelessness and mental health.
On Wednesday, university and college students will stage a street collection to raise awareness and donations for Gratitude Week.
Through the “Give a dollar, give a damn!” campaign, Josephson hopes to raise $1 million. Proceeds will go to the renovation of the 23-unit Pender Hotel and 97-room Gastown Hotel. Donations have already started pouring in via the website at www.gratitudeweek.org, thanks to strong word-of-mouth awareness and an effective viral marketing campaign.
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