Evergreen

I've wondered in the past about how I could possibly be making a positive impact on the world working for an company that is a rather significant cog in the machinery of capitalism, but some of those thoughts were laid to rest last night as I spent the evening with some colleagues preparing and serving a nutritious gourmet meal at Evergreen, a drop in centre for street kids in downtown Toronto. It turns out that my employer supplies the funds and the people for 5 of these dinners every year, and they're looking to expand that involvement by doing it monthly. That's not to say that I don't still have issues with my company and all that it stands for (ie. wealth management), but I at least feel better that they're doing something good with all of that wealth.

The Evergreen is a truly amazing place. They provide hearty, nutritious lunches and suppers 5 days a week, and warm, safe place for the kids to hang out during the day. They also offer the kids some amazing services, which you can check out on their website. It's a beautiful facility. And the kids desperately need as much compassionate help as we can give them. Some of their stories are absolutely heartbreaking, like the guy from NB who has been living on the streets since he came home from school when he was 14 and found a note on the table from his mother saying that she had taken his sisters and wouldn't be back. Can you imagine what that would do to your sense of self-worth? I find it hard to wrap my head around. I'm so glad that a place like Evergreen exists to show these kids that somebody cares about them.