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It's a bitter cold Sunday night. She's standing on the street with her cardboard sign.
She looks at me apprehensively at first then decides to take my offer and get into the car.
"Where to..." I say, as I listed a few restaurants in the area.
"Is there a MacDonald's around?" she asks.
Her name is Cindy. She quickly tells me that she doesn't often do this: ask for money on the street. Only in an emergency, when she has no money to buy something she needs.
We settle into the MacDonalds over a number one combo meal and hot chocolates. She smiles and we talk. She's seventeen, been in Winnipeg for a few months. Her parents are in Calgary. They're separated. Her dad makes good money and has her two younger sisters. Her mother looked after her until the boyfriend came along who didn't like her. She didn't have a place to go, since her father has practically disowned her when she chose her mother during the separation. She came to Manitoba to try a new Province. She had some friends here who help her out by giving her a place to stay. She's in one of the alternative high school programs in the city. She's working on her grade 10. She's excited. She has a job interview tomorrow. On Pembina somewhere. Customer Service. She's nervous too though. It will be her first job.
"Everywhere wants experience, how do you get experience when they won't give you a job?" she asks.
She has dreams - practical dreams. To get a job so that she can get enough money to pay for her own place. To have her sisters come and live with her. To finish her schooling. To go on and become a maternal nurse, like her Grandma was. She's hopeful, but scared. She realizes it will be a lot of work.
We've all seen many like Cindy. Youth standing on the median at Osborne and Broadway, squeegy kids trying to make a few bucks wiping windows on River Avenue and the panhandlers scattered through downtown. What do we usually do when we see them? Look the other way? Glare, scowl or shake our heads with pity? Or maybe, on a good day, we'll toss change and hurry away. These are the normal responses. But why don't we try encouraging them instead? They have a dream, but maybe they've lost hope. We don't have to have extra time or money. A simple smile, an encouraging nod, a look straight into their eyes. For the braver maybe we could say "have a good day, good luck." Or maybe you have an extra fruit in your lunch to give. Your heading to the drive thru, why not get two burgers instead of one. It's easy, not complicated, and it would make a difference.
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Writer Profile
Charity Fadun
I've been writting for a long time and enjoy it a lot. I like to write poems (not usually the rhyming type), interviews, reviews, articles and memoires. University has given me a lot of opportunity to write research papers and other projects. I recently was guest editor for a neighbourhood newspaper. It was an awesome experience. I like to get feedback on my writting so do feel free.
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