A Vote 4 Rose Henry Is A Vote 4 Diversity

Well I never really gave it much thought about re-running for our locally government because I am a firm believer that persistance and determination can make a difference. Especially if it is going to make a change for the homeless and the working poor. Here in Victoria and I guess the rest of the country cuts to the arts programs and homeless services are taking it toll on everyone.

So I figure like the air sign I am and the phoenix rising it is time that we the working poor and the homeless take a stand or at least a corner of the political something or other and speak out for the people, from within the offices of our community leaders.

I don't know what to really expect from my community because I am facing multiple barriers so as lack of education, poverty and racism. If I win I will be the first experinced former homeless Pre-Canadian woman rising from poverty. Most of the people I am going up against or mon-First Nations with a bank account and have more then a high school education.

So the only thing I have going for me is my life's experience and my desires to make positive changes for everyone, on Nov 15.

*Rose Henry's Commitment to Victoria*

I have spent the last several years proving that I can overcome any barrier
put in my way with the help of community. Now I would like to show everyone that I can truly be a leader at the municipal level in our local government, meaning that I can bring true equality through diversity and calmness. My family has always said that I have a lot of tenacity after over coming multiple barriers.

I know that it is now that we the people who have lived the talk and done the journey for social change to step up to the plate and take action now at the local level.

I am the type of person will give a hundred and ten percent of myself and am willing to speak out on the issues that effect all of us.

I am more than a poverty/ homeless activist who has lived in the down town core for the past twenty-five years. I do have some ideas and dreams and am prepared to act on them , through collective, community consensus, if it means it is going to improve the quality of our community for everyone.

I am prepared to meet with citizens at the community level and location when it is convenient for them on a regular basis

When I came here in 1983, there was a general strike happening and there was a huge political shift happening within the municipality that I was never aware off. I had never seen so many homeless people, drug addicts, or social services programs so readily available until I moved to Victoria.
I had also never seen so many people living and not caring about the un-housed or sick people until I moved here either.

I grew up in a foster home in Powell River where we were taught that if you where sick you where cared for by your family and a doctor. If you were hungry you were able to go to your back yard and pick your food. I never saw a food bank until I moved here. I never had to use one until I moved here.

I am a firm believer in access to good healthy food; especially if it means it is coming from a garden. I believe if you don't have your own yard then a community garden is just as good.

I also believe in grow local/ buy local for a healthier community.

I have seen Victoria change so much that I really do think that it is time
to step up to the plate and start speaking out in a place where there is a chance that I can really make a difference. I want to deliver to Victoria a commitment of speaking for the people that live here all year around a person who operates on a no nonsense value and has an open mind. I want to stop putting aside certain social issues from election to the next because it is obvious to me that these issues are important to the community.

I am the type of person who no longer complains about anything unless I am willing to do something about it.

I have spent years speaking out about social issues that have been rehashed hundred of times by every level of government; only to have nothing resolved. I believe it is time to put a stop to this recycling of old issues that are costing us more then we can afford.

Some people don't believe that I can do the job because I am not a rich person and because I am out on the street selling the Street Newz or seen talking to the homeless. I am not afraid of doing grunt work. Others say that it is because I don't give direct responses or act fast enough. I say that I can because I think and react from my heart. I think in two different nationalities. First in a community way ( indigenous way) and second in a colonist's way. I walk between two cultures. Both of which I react with a dream for a better community to live in.

I have already gained considerable support in the community. In the last two municipal elections I had 3,339 votes in 2005 and 3,491 in 2002.

*MY VISION FOR CHANGE*

I have been an active member with various agencies like:

-Together Against Poverty Society ( member and Board Director - 18 years)

-Victoria Native Friendship Centre (member and Board of Directors-5 years)

-Capital Region Race Relations Association (member, volunteer and board director 4 years)

-Vancouver Island Human Rights Coalition( member and Board of Director 4 years)

-Vancouver Island Human Rights Foundation (member 3 years)

-The Victoria Street Community Association( Volunteered)

I would like to see some old things returned back to what made Victoria such a beautifully city twenty-five years ago and some new things added to make Victoria a livable city for all people.

-I would like to see more affordable housing for families with and without children.

-I would like to see more single homes preserved

-Less Condos unless they are willing to designate a certain amount of condos as subsidized/ rent to own ones for people on low income.

- The by-laws changed so the property owners do not allow lots and
buildings to sit vacant giving the city image a derelict look.

-Community Housing

-More Bike Lanes

-A Free Bus zone in the Downtown Zone

-A park'N Ride service

- More community gardens and less people needing to use the food banks means a healthier and more productive community.

Some of the old things that I would like to see returned back are more public pay phones, toilet facilities, park benches and free community entertainment. * Taking pride in living in one of the most livable and accessible and cleanest cities in North America.

*My Experiences*

My experience living here in Victoria goes beyond campaigning directly for social issues. I do believe in getting involved with my community and am have been more than willing to learn new things. I am also no longer afraid to ask for help.

I have been involved with the creation of many different services and housing projects through my involvement with the Victoria Street Community Association. Various services like the Medewin House, Needle Exchange, Bent Nail, Sandy Merriman House and street advocacy all of these started through the homeless community of which I have directly involved with since the 1990s. Here I learned more about working for the community by empowering some of the most disadvantaged members of our society and the importance of working with our local government. We address housing, health issues,
employment and advocacy from the grass roots.

In 2001 I had the honour of traveling to Durban South Africa and attended the world conference on Racism thanks to the citizens of Victoria who donated and fund raised to send me there, because they believed in me and street advocacy all of there starts through the homeless community of which I have directly involved with since the 1990s.

I helped fight for the rights of the homeless to be able to vote by getting the provincial elections office to come to the street community and register the homeless so that they could vote.

In 2001 I had the honor of traveling to Durban South Africa and attended the world conference on Racism thanks to the citizens of Victoria who donated and fund raised to send me there, because they believed in me. I would like to see that same believe restored in me as your community representative.

*Employment*

I current am working with Homeless Nation which is an online web service that has been created by the homeless and employs people who have experience being homeless. It is a website that allows the homeless to tell their stories. My role as someone who has experience being homeless is to reach out into the homeless community and teach the community videoing and weblogging which increases their employable skills and opens up the avenues for the housed to understand homeless people. I have been doing this for about eighteen months now.

I would like to encourage people to check this website out and see and read first hand what the homeless what the I have been doing.

Please consider going me on Face book or making a donation to my campaign.
All Donations can be made payable to John Rooney. The mail address is Apt#104-864 Penbroke St., Victoria, BC. Please Put it in the memoline that this is for Rose Henry Campaign 2008