Homelessness Hero - Stories

The stories of the people and organisations who have been working with the homeless in Abbotsford need to be told. We can all become more informed about the work being done and perhaps involved in this vital work. The following article describes one such person as well as the shelter he helps to run, more will follow.

Jesse Wegenast – Homelessness Hero

Jesse Wegenast is well known in Abbotsford as a strong advocate for the homelessness in our city. He is the Executive Director of the Sparrow Community Care society based in Central Heights Church. He has been active in championing the case of the homeless since his college days.  He has been designated under the Assistance to Shelter Act as the Community Representative for Abbotsford BC.  Let’s unwrap his story.

Jesse first noticed the plight of the homeless as a student and felt moved to help. In Chilliwack where he was living at the age of 17 or 18 he might see someone outside a café, and would bring a coffee and just say hi. 

When he moved to Abbotsford he became involved in Five and Two ministries, later Vibrant Abbotsford and later still with the MCC and Archway; all of these whilst at school. He then studied for a degree at UFV in Human Geography. He even found time to get married!

At this time the treatment of the homeless was more draconian. Health services for the homeless were limited, access to a primary care physician was problematic. Filling out the paperwork was difficult without a permanent address, and there were barriers upon barriers to get benefits. Working through these processes could take months even for a well-educated person. Today Jesse would say “Things have changed now; social workers can work with a person to get them onto benefits in a few weeks”.

In Jesse’s early experience shelters were limited and operated with a very different set of values. For someone really struggling it was difficult to fit in. “There was no support housing, no Cornerstone, no  Elizabeth Fry, no Riverstone. For me this world was something new, I grew up in a middle class and comfortable family. Two loving parents and no problems”.  Jesse came to realise that those trying to help lacked understanding and connection with the situation.  When programmes were put in place these could lack basic understanding. “As an example, cooling areas for when temperatures reach 35 degrees are set, up but then few people come. It turns out that with many green spaces in our city the cooling tents in car parks are hotter”. 

Winter shelters are another area where lessons have been learnt over time. Shelters that open in extremes of cold were only open at night, what were homeless people to do and were to go during the day? And when temperatures rise a little the folks would be out on the street. People would get sick and end up using hospital beds. “It seems dumb to give people a place and then kick them out in the daytime, especially the elderly. Why are we spending money treating sickness when we should be giving then somewhere warm”. 

So we moved on to discuss the Central Heights Church arrangement. Following on from a shelter project with MCC, Jesse and his friend Derek needed to find a more permanent location for the shelter, and the link was made with Central Heights. To begin with the shelter was in the Gym downstairs, then moved to its current location on the upper level at the back of the building. Originally the agreement was for a few weeks but has since become a more long-term arrangement.

The Sparrow shelter consists of a large room with beds separated by dividers for privacy known as pods. At one end of the room there is a kitchen/café area. “This is the only shelter specifically for older adults, 55+”. Funding has changed recently to Hearth and Hearts which enables extending to 30 beds. This has also helped with the installation of sprinklers and firewalls as well as an exterior lift”.

Jesse talked about the general housing supply for Abbotsford. “It’s not unique to this town, the lack of supply is a challenge for all ages. Students and elderly people find the cost of housing high, for example a 63-year-old can no longer afford the condo they have been renting for years. This is a form of economic homelessness. If they start to live in their RV they can’t find a permanent or safe location. The cost and timescale of building supported housing is high and we are not keeping pace. “A new approach is needed, maybe more like a dormitory arrangement for the elderly, $1.3 million for an affordable housing unit just won’t work”.

“In Abbotsford we have huge church buildings such as here at Central Heights, but my experience is that I hit walls when I was approaching them regarding space for a refuge. Then I called in at this church and a guy listened and said maybe we can make this work. I couldn’t believe it. That’s how this shelter came about”.  There needs to be a heart for the homeless, and a willingness to overcome the difficulties. “It’s the suffering love that Christians are called to, but it’s also rewarding. It can be a source of spiritual growth for that church’s community”.

“Leaders need to show courage and compassion; they will face concerns such as the risks to the building or the community. You have to be prepared to face difficulties, but you will learn from them, and in time it will become easier. But it will also change the city’s view of the church, seeing compassion in action not just in words. It happened during the Syrian refugee crisis, and it showed the churches in a positive way”.

I’ll close with thanks to Jesse for his time and cooperation in putting together this short article, and for encouraging me with my small projects and ideas.

By Dick Martin