{"id":2768,"date":"2019-09-27T07:07:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T10:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesheet.dovico.com\/blog\/?p=2768"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:08:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T18:08:40","slug":"tent-city-security-growth-is-impossible-when-safety-is-removed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesheet.dovico.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/27\/tent-city-security-growth-is-impossible-when-safety-is-removed\/","title":{"rendered":"Tent City Security: Growth is Impossible When Safety is Removed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Moncton, the city where Dovico calls home is in the midst of a homelessness crisis. With rising health care and housing costs, and social isolation, the numbers of those living outside in tents or inside at shelters is rising. How can our company grow, if the security of our community is clearly at risk?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike many of our other blog posts, this one doesn’t have anything to do with what we sell. It isn’t a blog post about timesheets, company culture or productivity at work. This one is about kindness, empathy and community. Timesheets, company culture and productivity at work doesn’t mean a thing if we don’t have love and understanding of our fellow citizen. It also doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t feel secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moncton's
Moncton’s Tent City
Photo: Global News<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Security in a Tent City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On my way to work every morning, I drive by a treed-in vacant property known as “Tent City.” This plot of land, not far from our downtown, is where dozens of our cities homeless have set up tents and makeshift tarp shelters for homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of merely chasing them away, our city has adopted this temporary subdivision until a more permanent solution can be found. The city has hired security, brought in portable washrooms and has created a few rules for safety and sanitary reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each day as I pass by Tent City, I try to understand how someone can become homeless. And every time, I fail. Selfish thoughts of thinking that it’s a choice, or that they are perhaps they are lazy come to mind. Our city is not lacking jobs, we have an abundance, so why can’t these people find work? Why do they choose to live in a tent and not become better? Why are they so reliant on government assistance to get started? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My thoughts were 100% ignorant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing the news that the city has now decided to evict the last dozen or so citizens of Tent City<\/a>, I decided to inform myself. Ignorance is bliss, they say, and I had found comfort from that bliss. Only now when it’s time for the citizens to move on, do I make my move to understand their story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am ashamed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Upon doing a little research, I found a documentary that Charles Burrell, founder of The Humanity Project with help from a local A\/V group had created this summer about Moncton’s Tent City. In it, they interviewed the various citizens who call a tent their home. The people’s stories were authentic, heartfelt and moved me to change my opinion on just what homeless means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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