I read an interesting article on the Globe and Mail website about how one Montreal organization is trying to help people understand the issue of homelessness by having them talk to a homeless person.

Basically, what happened is this group found a public spot to set up a table with two chairs. On one side is a homeless person, on the other side is someone who isn't homeless. They are each given a bowl of soup to eat and then encouraged to talk to each other. The goal is to help the non-homeless people better understand what homeless men and women are going through.

There is a moderator to help get the conversation going or to step in if things get too uncomfortable.

I've always said there is no better way to understand the work we do than to come down and take a tour. When people take a tour, their eyes are opened. The most common thing I hear is: I didn't know you did all of this.

But the tours aren't just an opportunity to show off everything we do. More importantly, we want people to have a better understanding of how complex the issue of homelessness is, how much support the homeless often need, and the amount of help we need from the community to make it happen day after day.

If you would like a tour, please contact me at 613-789-8210, ext. 247 or at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com. If you would like to help support the work we do, you can make a donation here.