Remembering Crystal

I have never watched an entire episode of The Big Bang Theory but I've seen chunks of the enduring sitcom because it's everywhere, all the time. I did catch part of an episode in which Penny feels guilty about her bullying past and decides to donate clothing for the less fortunate, and heads off to do so with her two friends. They discover the door of the donation bin ajar and actually pilfer items they think are "cute" for themselves before realizing that this too is wrong. Are you laughing yet?



At the end of December we heard of the death of a man in West Vancouver in one of these clothing bins and it sounded bizarre. How could that happen, and why? It turns out that there have been a number of such deaths in the past few years across the country. People climb in for warmth, or to find clothes to keep warm in cold weather, or to take items to sell. The bins are designed to be theft-proof but people do manage to get in. Sometimes they die of exposure and sometimes asphyxiation.

Then, last week a woman named Crystal died in a similar bin in Toronto. She was well known at a particular shelter, although it sounds as though she spent a lot of time on the street. There are many homeless people who prefer to "sleep rough" rather than spend the night in a crowded shelter where there is often conflict or drug use. Some simply don't do well around other people because of mental health issues.

In West Vancouver all the donation bins have been sealed and manufacturers are working on new designs to stop these sad deaths. But as those involved with people living on the margins point out, homeless folk are dying of poverty, not because of donation bins. The lack of affordable housing and crowded shelters contribute to these situations and the bins are just a symptom.

Last night there was a vigil for 35-year-old Crystal Papineau, and it's good to hear that she was recognized as a human being loved by others and by God. We can pray that city and provincial governments will address the larger issues of homelessness because there is nothing funny about it.

Try some environmental inspiration at my Groundling blog today

http://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/