I was homeless all 2019-2021 I got a job at a tire shop and grinded my knuckles to the bone to make ends meet while saving up. Now I got a little room just in time for winter. Hopefully Spring I can get a cheap old car.

I was a homeless man in the 1980s due to my own stupidity; it was entirely 100% my fault and I blamed no one else but me. Nobody gave a damn about me. I knew that there was only one person who could fix this situation, and that was me. I used a post office box as my fixed address, did up a resume at the Public Library and started knocking on doors for any job. I got a minimum-wage gig, made friends with some of the guys at work and got a shared place with them with my first paycheque. A few months later, I got a decent unionized job and moved into my own place. It was a lesson I learned well and vowed to never be in that situation ever again. Today, when I see some homeless person panhandling I help them out. Not so much with money, but rather I buy them a sandwich or a bowl of soup. Once, I asked a guy going through the dumpster at my apartment building what size his feet were. They were the same size as me so I gave him my old winter boots. His eyes teared up, mostly because some stranger actually cared about him. They are still human beings, and I never forgot that. I know that some are there because of laziness or addictions, but that shouldn’t matter. I look into their eyes and let them know they’re not invisible to me, and I know that makes a difference.

Don’t take life for granted, everything IS NOT PROMISED . No matter what you do right , you still can up lookin like you did wrong

My dear friend Amy. Oh how I pray for you everyday. Known this girl since she was in foster care at age 13. She’s had it rough, she’s stayed with me multiple times in order for me to try to help her get back on her feet, I unfortunately moved hours away & can no longer sometimes even see Amy. I pray for you girl. Breaking my heart seeing you have to sleep in stairwells. She’s a beautiful BEAUTIFUL girl, with an incredible voice. If CBC wants help in saving her I will do whatever in my power to help, she needs saving.. & help.

I spent nearly a year homeless with no clue how to go about it. I'm 24 and just now getting off the street..that feeling of having to sleep in public places especially in winnipeg

I hope this young woman finds everything she is searching for and more.

Remember. Always treat the less fortunate with dignity. ⚘ Homelessness can happen to anyone. It happened to me back in july-august of 2014. It can happen to anyone.

Being homeless sucked. I remember always being too cold, or too hot for extended periods. There was always nowhere to rest properly and safely; always needing to move to not loiter or get persecuted, all while you're burnt out tired. The constant noise of cars driving by and people going about their days eventually made you feel very anxious and restless. I remember always feeling hungry, depressed, and mostly hopeless. You are in a state of declining energy, hygiene issues, and keeping a clean environment around you. You're also prey to any homeless or even just thieves, which starts to set you back even further. The lack of a comfortable bed and consistent food really takes a physical/emotional/mental toll, as well as the loneliness of it all. The long days/nights melting in my car hopelessly will definitely have a lasting impression on me.

This young lady deserves a chance at life.

Nope. She’s still an addict. I have endless sympathy for people who are struggling but she’s not begging for food. I could go on for days about how I’m a victim and about all of the things I lost but I gotta take responsibility for me . I’m homeless and the only way I’m gonna get out of it is to be sober first and foremost. Hard truth but she gotta get sober before she gets anywhere else.

Why are we putting people from OTHER COUNTRIES In 4* hotels for months before giving them luxurious condos and free food and jobs while letting our nationals fend for themselves in tents????? 🤬😡😡😡

You cannot solve the problem of homelessness until you take a serious look on why and how people become homeless. How many are really willing to look into the depth of the matter?

Simply heart-breaking. Wishing you good health and good luck Amy.

So sad. I hope she gets off the street and has success in life. There needs to be more help for vulnerable youth like her. So sad ..pray for her

I was homeless in Hawaii and stayed in a shelter I Honolulu and got sick and a tough life but I tried to stay cheerful - I kept my stuff at the YMCA and had a coffee there in the morning. Shelter gave out OK meals and nice cloths for free and counselling which was good. Hard to find housing in Hawaii.

Shoutout 2 all the Warming Centres who help keep anyone who doesn’t have a place 2 go warm and safe. It’s super tough out here.. such a broken world. PEACE & LOVE ☁️

I struggle hard with empathy, i grew up in a small town and moved to toronto and always watched videos like this and tried so hard to help as many homeless people as I could. It hurt my soul how many people were sick and took advantage and used me and used the small amount I had for useless endeavors without any apologies. I would sit with people for hours and hear there story and it broke my heart over and over but I know my money cannot help if the system can't help. I ended up having alcohol abuse issues myself and I got treatment and did everything it took to change my life. Its such a sad cruel world and I hate that I have this stigma. She seems like such a sweet heart. Wishing her only the best.

This is so heartbreaking. I know how it is to be homeless, Although i am fortunate to be staying in a shelter, but this really hurt my heart and i hope she found something.

I remember feeling homeless when a light went out for a week. I had a such a hard time stay in house with no heater and didn’t get to take shower. Just imagine people who actually have to sleep outside in cold weather with no food and warm water to shower.

It brings me to tears because she’s only 22 years old😞😞😞😞😞😞

Toronto is a tough and rough city to be without money or housing ; back in November of 93 the only time i was homeless i stayed at the Salvation Army on Queen east for 6 weeks. Never do i want to go back there and that place is 5 times worse in 2021

I always try to treat homeless in my town as humans; always chat with them and help where I can. God knows they are dehumanized every day by passerbys and inconsiderate individuals who have the privilege of stability.

If I had a steady stream of billions of dollars coming to me every year, I’d fund all kinds of programs to help get people like her off the street, get her working a respectful job and reunite her with her son. Alas, the world doesn’t seem it’s a good idea to give people like me money - rather make people rich who like to waste it on trips to space or yachts or drugs.

Yeah this makes me angry to see our Government virtue signalling about helping refugees from afar and don't help the Canadians. It's interesting she mentions the show survivor as if it's just a fun lark to be without resources. I grew up in a small community and lived in Toronto for about a year when I was 20 and was shocked then by all the homelessness that was more than 20 years ago I don't think it has improved.

I'm on welfair disability & I have to watch what I spend. This is my biggest fear. I don't know what my future brings. I pray each day.🙏

I wonder sometimes why her grandmother didnt take her in too.

She's not being honest. I've worked with people who have addictions. She clearly has all of the signs of addiction and addiction related mental health issues. Her problem isnt homelessness, its addiction.

I am her sons paternal grandmother NOT Amy's grandmother, There is A LOT more to the story than what was presented.

These are our children our fathers our grandparents. 😞

If she can't have it in this life then I hope she has a mansion in heaven.

Everybody at the CBC should donate their location for shelter and for helping the people of humanity❤

I just watched this video Amy I hope you find a place to live my heart goes to you your beautiful soul I hope your ok I will be praying for you and if I lived there I'd definitely give you a place to live with all my heart I hope your ok I don't know you but this video made me cry so much my heart goes out to you

Very sad for this soul. It’s been said that a measure of a successful society is how we take care of the most vulnerable.

I don't understand all these women who say they are homeless but their child has a place to stay with relatives. When I was younger and struggling where my child stayed I stayed. We slept in the same twin bed. My son had the stability of me in his life, and I was clean and presentable for job interviews. Something fishy going on when a relative allows a child to stay (what about childcare?) but not the parent of the child

Poor kid. The system is broken Jesus protect her 🙏

GOD BLESS THIS LADY IN HER LIFE ON THE STREETS

Until the 1980s Canada was proud to assist the poor with decent living standards that included housing.

Her son is with grandma but she is on the street. This must be an Anglo Saxon thing or a North American thing. I can’t imagine anyone in Italy letting a relative be on the street. What else aren’t we hearing from her?

God bless this young lady

So sad so heartbreaking 💔 it’s so wrong that ppl can’t get the true help needed

My heart goes out to you keep strong an keep praying you get help soon God bless you

Canada needs a minimum annual income policy. Anyone willing to work will have enough money to have food and a safe warm place to live. If a person can't find a job the government should create work projects to better our communities in what ever ways will make our communities better.

This person has issues with mental health and addiction. I worked with addicts for two years and unless they want to change, there’s no hope. It’s hard when the system is stacked against you but, one client did do it. It’s very hard work.

I hope her situations sorts out and she reconnects with her son.

So heartbreaking and makes me so angry at our city officials who are not doing enough!

The speculation and snap judgements on here are painful. You do not know another person's life. Wondering if CBC would be able to add any links to help in the description?

I feel so sorry for anyone homeless in Canada, the winters are unbelievably cold and so many die every year there due to having to sleep outdoors and being female is even worse as they’re often vulnerable to being abused. London, UK.

I hope she finds a home before it gets really cold outside..😢

I live in South Africa 🇿🇦, we live a decent middle class life. It's always be a dream to imagrate to Canada or America. I never knew life was so tough for many in these first world countries. Really Sad

This is why education is important. You can have job in factory, car garage, and other labors until they all closing down 1by1 and you found yourself homeless. I worked in Financial industry, and yes my company got merged and we got kicked out 4-5 times, but we always manage to get office job in 1-2 mths max. for senior staffs, they started again at new companies from bottom, but after few months, they got promoted to senior level again due to their knowledge and skill. When those factories in trouble, the old one always the first to go because they are slow and less productive. But in office, the old ones are the seniors and they know all the system and procedures. The young starters are usually the first to get kicked out.

I hope this sweet woman finds a good life/home soon. She deserves it. Just breaks my heart to see her like this. So hopefully something good happens for her soon. And she can be happy with her son and boyfriend as well.

I was homeless a few timeless to drug addiction nd it really sucked in the winter bc everyone in Canada knows how cold it gets in Canada! I'm sober now nd I help the homeless when I can

This is a very moving story. I am so sorry to hear about Amy's situation. It's so heartbreaking. She has gone through a lot. When she said that she wishes she had her son back, that made me very emotional. I'm also very disappointed in the Toronto City government for not doing something to help homeless people like Amy. No one should ever have to live on the streets. Ever. If anyone is in the Toronto area, please help this beautiful young woman.

I’m 22 and this scared me.

So yea I’m homeless and it’s really hard out here and … I feel like I should sing now. Ready 1 2 3 😭😭 Just blows me away. Talented. I sure hope she’s doing ok / better today.

I hope everything goes well for these ladies, I wish them happy and good on there journey of life and hope a group or organization program will solve homelessness here in canada ??

Outstanding shipmate. Press on. USS kitty Hawk CV-63/ Jan 1980 to July 1983. I remember siting in San Deigo waiting for the bus and felling so alone so far away from home. Don`t worry GOD has a specal place in Heaven for you. I know.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY THE SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HELP THAT WOMAN GET HOUSING and GET HER CHILD BACK WITH HER. UNACCEPTABLE!!

A beautiful sight to behold.

I hope she will get a home as soon as possible.

Since the covid , it seems like cops are more forgiving with car camping, tents,etc.

I hope to you the best luck sister don't Give up you can't start over your brother from Algeria 🇩🇿🇩🇿

People need a hot shower, a place to clean their clothes, and a secure place to sleep even if it has to be in a tent city. Tent cities should be improved upon instead of torn down. There have always been transient humans around settled towns. It's unrealistic to expect every single human being on earth to be tucked away neatly at all times. Life is big and messy...gentrification cannot clean the human condition. Been living in vehicles for 5 years. Often the homeless folks I come across are ingenious and creative in their survival skills and are part of a community with each other.

So beautiful!!

If I knew the backstory of homeless people like her I'd always give money, but some just use the money to buy drugs. What use is that

Unfortunately the waiting list for available housing in Toronto is 8-20 years. Honestly hope she's found and has a home.

Alot of times we would walk around all night then jump a train at Wellesley station when they opened, there's a spot they couldn't see in the mirror where you could slip through undetected, then you could catch up on some sleep for a few hours on a warm train...

This girl misfortune happens to her, to be left on the street because of a drug addict scoundrel, let's hope that some good neighbor in Toronto can help her reestablish a normal life. she deserves it she doesn't seem like a bad girl, and she also has a beautiful singing voice .. .IF IT WERE NOT BECAUSE I LIVE SO FAR, I WOULD HELP HER ..in truth, I feel sorry and also being so young ...😢😢

She looks like a drug addict though, and why is she focusing on getting engaged instead of finding a job and getting her son back, she seems almost happy being homeless comparing it to 'survivor'? Homelessness is a huge issue but many of these people are unfortunately addicts and alcoholics who don't get the proper treatment. This woman clearly needs rehab.

Why not stay at your grandma's until you get back on your feet?

Did I just hear her say she 22 years old? Or maybe I heard wrong because she looks hell alot older

Breaks my heart 😓

City of Toronto: We have hundreds of people sleeping outdoors and nowhere to put them! Also City of Toronto: We have over 12 million square feet of unused office space.

I pleaded God Amy and all the homeless people find jobs, permanent homes, and stable life forevermore.

That’s sad and deep

I hope you make it girl.... love and light ❤

very nice doc

Thank God I am not homeless so far

May God bless you

I hope it works out for this beautiful person. Goodluck..🌟.Amy.🌟.

Instead of asking for spare change ask for help with obtaining a job a place to shower daily. This is why there needs to be affordable apartments. No we don’t know if she was using drugs along with her boyfriend but a lot of white women fall victim to their boyfriends taking their earnings leaving them basically a step from homelessness. If she’s determined to get her son back she needs help to get into shelter, so she can shower daily and go find work so she can rent basement room or private room until she can afford her own apartment again. A relationship with a different man show be last thing on her mind after what her son’s father put her through. Being out on the streets is aging her rapidly.

Ive been homeless and do wish it on some people, some people are homeless because of choices that they make to pursue drugs and alcohol and in some places gambling, others are homeless by lack of choice, lost job or cant find housing, There are levels of homeless, you can be homeless living in a vehicle and still look at others as being homeless because of how they deal with it, some pan handle while others steal and sell drugs. I always looked down on those who begged for change or stand on the corner with cardboard signs. I get it but would rather starve. There is not really any dignity in being homeless, the only way out is be making a plan and following through. Anyone can become homeless eating from soup kitchens, and drop in centers, which by the way provide measured calories with very few fats and sugars, something that you need to live when your walking around all day. As a homeless person you see injustice everyday, In Canada you cant get welfare, its dam near impossible, I applied for social assistance and they told me that if I had a drug problem or alcohol problem I could receive benefits. Having no job to a DUI unable to collect Unemployment, something that I paid intro for most of my life. This government wants you to die if you dare ask for something that you paid into for majority of your life. The only choice you have is to give up and die or learn and move on. To this day I will never forgive the arrogance of some people who work in government offices in jobs that are designed to help people, by the way collecting a paycheck from a government agency is not a real job, it creates nothing and does nothing to better our economy, there checks are taken from the taxes of hard working people who actually create something out of nothing. Government jobs are a leach on society. I wish for those people without empathy or regard for anyone but themselves to experience standing in a line for a bed at the local shelter in -30 weather with meth heads trying to start a fight with you cause they are junked out and are tweaking for a fight, where are the cops?, homeless dont matter at all, ...those people like cops, judges, lawyers and social workers can all die for all I care. We dont need them, its a myth,

I am trying to listen to why she cannot live with the Grandmother who has custody of her son, seems life would get going if she did.

Seems a lot of homelessness has to do with addiction unfortunately

The challenge of keeping the comments section turned off or on: cbc special

God knows your needs better trust him....I cannot help since too far.. Only prayer ....God loves you all always...

They choose that life,,,,rooms are very cheap in brampton for like 400-450,,,,,there's alot of work agencies provide work on cash,,,,,

The thing is less and less people have money to spare since the Covid Pandemic started. It certainty isn't the well off or the rich giving change to these poor souls. I can't help them as often as I would like to anymore. I pay my rent and bills first, make a budget for food for myself and my cats for the month, make sure I have change for bus fair during the month and so, I can't be giving out my bus fair and have no extra change for these poor souls. Once in a while I will help with what I can but not like before. This pandemic and lockdowns has hit alot of ordinary people hard. People who didn't mind helping these people out, find it financially hard to help. I don't ignore them, I will say hi and ask how they're doing and acknowledge them but, I can't, not that I don't want to help them. Sometimes I Wii offer to go in store and buy them a drink and a bag of chips and some accept and appreciate it but some don't want it. The well off and the rich should walk down the street in ordinary clothing and help out these people by giving them a little money or going in the store and buy them some food, even giving out clean clothing that they don't need anymore. I do understand that some who refuse food or clothing need money for bus fares and some of them it's for drugs and alcohol . Come on! I wasn't born yesterday. They do get a street check from Social services, here in Ontario and their address can be a shelter, or another institution. Some are there not by their own fault but, some are there because they prefer not having the headache of paying rent or bills. Some are there because of drugs and alcohol abuse but, like I said " since the Pandemic and Lockdowns it's alot harder to get help. I will not support someone else's drug or alcohol abuse, when I'm barely making it by myself. Some districts have more to offer than others. They should arrange something where all districts have some good and safe fresh food to eat and give out clean wearable clothes plus bus fair at givin out once a month. I'm pretty sure there's a small street check but , unfortunately it doesn't help the ones who want to get off the street. If anyone has looked at what's happening in some parts of the United States it's beginning to look like a third world country. I want to say to poor immigrants that Canada is not what it use to be. You come here thinking you'll have a better life and end up disappointed and living on the streets. Only immigrants who already have money or skills that some companies might need , make it here and some are better off then your born and raised Canadians. Don't come to Canada if you don't have money from the get go or someone has offered you a good paying job because of your skills. You can't pay rent, bills, and food all by yourself on a small salary. It just doesn't exist anymore , not even for us. 🕯️❤️✌️

Always be kind to the homeless, if you see one buy them some food.

Yes

I have been homeless for 4 years and I am actually working as a teacher

She has a beautiful voice

The way to help the homeless people Canadian people every year welcomed thousand refugees from abroad, and supported them with generous resources to settle down their lives in Canada. There’s no doubt Canadian would do same things to the homeless people in our society, but the same things are not needed by our homeless people. As most us know, most our homeless people with mental illnesses and hard bad addictions. They are not capable to make right choices for themselves. But it’s not safe and right for making choices for our homeless people even with our good intentions. As in the past happened so many governments and metal health institutions abused their power over the venerable people. The key is the whole country specially the federal government should determined with provincial and municipal governments and many social groups to solve the problems together. To provide the nice, attractive, safe environment places for the homeless people. It would cost more than supporting the refugees and without returning, the refugees after settling would pay back as tax payers. But it would cost much less than mental health institutions, prisons and the damages they cost to the communities. And providing better environment for the people, businesses and communities where the homeless people live now. Most importantly it is our responsibility for the homeless people and the communities where they live.

your country is a rich country and a strong and great country. Your eyes are beautiful like an angel. who was given excess intelligence my god said. and truly belongs to us is the hereafter and the world, namely those who give their wealth in the way of God to purify themselves

Wow you have a beautiful voice.

This is what happens when the heart is not in the same place as the mind !

Heart-wrenching 🙏💗

If anyone lives in this area donate some gloves and winter gear to her I would but I'm in california

Why can’t she live with her grandma and get a job and go to school?

Sadly couples need to learn to put some money aside. Like in a private account for bad days. When we had bad times. Id tell my husband lets see what we have aside in our hidden box or sock. id put a little 1.00 or 2.00 here and that mostly i was saving from using grocery coupons. When id borrow from it id put it back as a credit card. Now its 40 years youd be surprise how much i have .....