Follow-up to Book Study on Encampment by Maggie Helwig
For three Tuesday evenings in March, a small group of us discussed the book Encampment by Maggie Helwig. The author, an Anglican priest, writes about a homeless encampment that existed in the churchyard at St. Stephen-in-the-Fields in Toronto, and her fight to, “allow them to stay, battling various authorities that want to clear the yard and keep the results of the housing crisis out of sight and out of mind”.
We thought we would share some of our reactions to the book, in the hope that we entice some of you to read it too!
“I’m feeling so many things at once! I’m incredibly impressed with her writing and how articulate she is about such a difficult topic. I feel ashamed with how little I know about all of this. I feel heartache for what is happening in our city to so many, and it makes me want to work towards change. Thank you for recommending this. I’ve been in a bubble here in Bloor West and I find the topic overwhelming with pain and sadness. We as humans need to do better. At the very least, I will donate but I am also going to set up a coffee with our MPP.”
“Many thanks to you both for bringing us all together to discuss this challenging and confronting book. As for what stuck with me — other than the very positive way the study was run — was the despair. I’ve had a ringside view of it personally, but this was a deep dive into the labyrinth of absurdity and hopelessness. All of it right in our own city.”
“I also wanted to say that I think this is the best book study the church has ever run. It’s so relevant, practical, and grounded in real world challenges and solutions. Sometimes, I feel like the book studies can be a little bit like armchair theorizing, where I am talking about issues that are more theoretical than practical. This is phenomenal.”
“Our meetings gave me so much to think about with regards to encampments and the church. So much to consider. It is a huge undertaking, with many positives and negatives when making a difference with the homeless situation. It would be interesting to see what the United Church is doing to ease the situation.”
“The study and the book provided a brief introduction to an important topic. I liked the very local focus on Toronto. The problem of homelessness is huge, but the sessions showcased some solutions. I am continuing my reading.”