Where did you sleep last night?

More than 1500 men and women in Vancouver spent the night on the street.

It’s baffling that we have so much, and yet this problem seems to keep growing.

Many of us just don’t know how to make a positive contribution to end it…

What if I told you, you could do ONE simple thing today to help end homelessness and it was as simple as a moment of GRATITUDE…

Would you do that?   

In October 2009, thousands of Vancouverites participated, volunteered and donated generously to the

first Gratitude Week to End Homelessness.

People gathered on the streets for our placard project…

People talked, connected and raised awareness using web and social media

Schools and universities organized their own events and fundraising initiatives

Local celebrities and corporate sponsors helped to spread the word

People gathered to learn, share and celebrate the many other organizations involved in ending homelessness

Even the Mayor was an enthusiastic supporter…

By far the biggest success was our Gratitude Wall on the grounds of the Vancouver Art Gallery

Where thousands of people shared their messages of gratitude

This year the movement continues …

The gratitude æffect is a movement created by the people of Vancouver who believe their own gratitude has the power to æffect the lives of others.

Together we can æffect a movement.

Effect, noun (dic'onary spelling) 1. Something brought about by a cause or agent; a result. 2. The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence.   Affect, verb (dic'onary spelling) 1. To have an influence on or effect a change in. 2. To act on the emo'ons of; touch or move. 

Our primary mission is to engage the average citizen of Vancouver to do ONE thing to help end homelessness…

NOW.

Starting in May, all around Vancouver

a single message of gratitude…

will turn to many…

…and series of projects will give people a positive way to contribute to the end of homelessness.

Viral Video Campaign

Pop up Charity

The Wall of Gratitude

Guinness World Record

24 Hour Text-A-Thon

Youth Program

Gratitude Flash Mob

A Culminating Celebration

The results will be: Providing funds to help place 100 people into safe, clean affordable housing.

Creating even more positive awareness about the issues of homelessness.

Re-engaging participants from last year while involving more people this year.

Tapping into the same spirit and collective pride we were all a part of for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Ok, I’m sold. Where do donations go?

The gratitude æffect will ensure that every possible dollar donated goes directly to the renovation of two buildings in the Downtown East Side.

Pender Hotel 31 West Pender Street

Hotel Gastown 110 Water Street

These two projects will provide safe, clean and affordable housing for 100 people who need it.

But the biggest success will be how our own gratitude…

…will æffect the lives of others

and change how we think and feel about homelessness in Vancouver.

So the final question is…

What are you grateful for?