Retired teacher John McGettigan recently took part in the Saskatoon Sanctum Care Group 36-Hour Challenge, a program that immerses community leaders in the lives of the city’s unhoused population. Participants follow the life of a homeless person, visit support organizations, and learn firsthand about the challenges they face.

“I would have taught them for four years every semester at Holy Cross High School,” McGettigan said, reflecting on a former student he encountered during the challenge.

The experience gave him insight into systemic issues affecting the unhoused, from difficulties accessing basic services to the barriers created by policies not informed by frontline workers.

“The cracks aren’t cracks, they’re crevasses. It’s so easy for people to fall between them,” McGettigan noted.

During the challenge, he visited the Friendship Inn and Saskatoon Food Bank, observing dignity and kindness in action despite the hardships faced by their clients. Sleeping arrangements varied: some participants stayed in shelters, while others experienced sleeping outdoors.

McGettigan emphasized the connection between homelessness and gaps in support for children and families:

“If kids don’t get what they need, they end up on the streets … what kids need, they should get.”

He also praised the dedication of frontline workers while criticizing the surrounding system and decision-makers for not heeding their expertise.

“The people doing the work? First class. The system surrounding them? Not so much. Change happens at the speed of trust.”

Source: The StarPhoenix – The cracks aren’t cracks, they’re crevasses: Former teacher peers into homelessness in Saskatoon