Volunteer calls on province to address homelessness after heat wave sees hundreds of bottles of water handed out

Fran Forsberg, head of Feed The People, a volunteer-run group which meets every Sunday for an hour near 20th Street and Avenue P to hand out meals, water and clothing to those in need. (Keenan Sorokan/CTV News)

Fran Forsberg has been spending much of her free time lately handing out bottled water to people on the street.

She says she does it because few others will, including the provincial government.

“I’ve been doing this for five years. If I can do this, at 71 years old, surely the government can step up and start helping the people in need,” she said.

Forsberg is the head of Feed The People, a volunteer-run group which meets every Sunday for an hour near 20th Street and Avenue P to hand out meals, water and clothing to those who need it. Forsberg says during the intense heat on Sunday, volunteers gave out 600 bottles of water, and she’s noticed an increased need this spring and summer.

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“It’s just getting worse and worse. I see nothing — no end in sight, and the government needs to step up,” Forsberg said.

Over the course of four Sundays in June, Forsberg said Feed The People gave out 2,000 meals. On Monday, she stood near the area where meals and water are handed out to call on the provincial government to join her.

“You’re welcome any time, Forsberg said. “Please come and speak to the people and see them for yourself, see the need and show that you care.”

Social Services Minister Terry Jenson says the province is focused on increasing the amount of treatment spaces so people living on the street facing addictions or mental health issues can get the help they need and on a path towards stable housing.

“It’s a very, very complex issue,” Jenson said at a separate event Monday.

Jenson said working with multiple ministries to get treatment is the issue predominantly seen for homeless populations across the province.

“To be able to get them into treatment spaces so that they can begin that process of leading a healthy life going forward,” Jenson said.

Jenson said the ministry is in regular communication with its service providers to understand challenges and what the changing circumstances of the homelessness and addictions crises are. He said the ministry internally monitors outcomes and usage of its facilities to inform its own decision making.

NDP MLA Leroy Laliberte says this issue is solely the responsibility of the provincial government, and it shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of municipalities, charities or volunteers like Forsberg.

“The government has been neglecting this crisis,” Laliberte said. “I think that we’re seeing it throughout the province. The responsibility comes from the government. They need to be able to provide those resources.”