The Existence Project

Dennis, a writer, poet and storyteller who has experienced intermittent homelessness throughout his lifetime sat down with us to discuss his process coming out and speaking publicly to his experience on the street. Transformation, empowerment and the ability to have a choice in life all underlie a complex, candid and hopeful discussion with a man who has overcome homelessness.

Cory, a hip-hop artist who first experienced homelessness as a youth connected with us to speak about the many ways people who end up homeless fall through the cracks from an early age. A true survivor of the streets, Cory brings sincerity, eloquence and a story of resilience to a larger dialogue around how community support could be designed to legitimately address the needs of people living in the street community.

We speak with Melissa Barnhard, an indigenous peer support worker and survivor of the foster care system who has started sharing her story across the city with a peer-led initiative called Face to Face with Stigma. Her experiences have her an acute awareness of the impacts intergenerational trauma has had on her community and seen her jump into an advocacy and support role.

Today we speak with Mike Woestenburg about his experience with Conversion Disorder, a rare auto-immune disorder that left him traversing social stigma in society and the medical system. He talks about the journey this took him through, finally naming his condition, "Conversion Disorder", and discovering the community built from others experiencing the isolation of CD. Take a listen!

Kay Martin, Peer Support Worker with the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness and co-lead on the Face-to-Face with Stigma program breaking down stigma in institutions of power, sits down to talk to us about her story and what needs to change in our community to better support those battling addiction and homelessness.