As physicians, we know the importance of preventive medicine and the social determinants of health. We encourage our patients to eat right, get enough sleep, stay warm and exercise 30 minutes daily.

We tend to regard these activities as choices that are simple to make. It is easy to forget that, for some vulnerable Albertans, there is little choice – these opportunities for health are simply out of reach.

Thinking of what living that way might be like, I tried to imagine myself as a teenager with no home, no family, not even a place to go in the middle of winter.

The days are short, the nights are long and dark, and the wind can be bitter. Cold is something that I live with; it is always just around the corner. “Couch surfing” is only an option for so long; eventually I run out of places to stay.

At 9 p.m., the public buildings begin to close. The security guards have already informed me that “loiterers” must move on. Every time I try to settle in a warm place, I’m asked to move along. There is no place to store what belongings I have and those belongings do not include money.

On week nights, there is school in the morning. Without a warm place to sleep, when I get to school, I will probably fall asleep once I am warm. As a result, chances are good that I am not doing well in school.

If I find a full-time job it means I might be able to find a place to stay warm. Or maybe not, as I have nothing to write in the “contact phone number” box on job applications.

This reality is so far outside my experience that I can hardly comprehend it. There is, though, a way I can help.

Resident physicians reach out

For the last four years, the Professional Association of Resident Physicians of Alberta (PARA) has collected used backpacks and bags filled with essentials for people in need at shelters across the province.

This year’s campaign will be the second one in which I have had the privilege to participate. Last year, I had the opportunity to tour the Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS – previously, the Youth Emergency Shelter Society). I helped drop off the donations at the end of the campaign and was able to see first-hand how much the donations are needed and appreciated.

I have never had to face being homeless or having to choose between shelter and school or shelter and food. In these circumstances, would I have made it to where I am now? Probably not.

Thinking back to times in my own life when the “going got tough,” I recognize that I had an amazing amount of support, including my family, friends and mentors.

I think about all the opportunities that life has afforded me and the fact that I have always had options; there has always been a Plan B. In my moments of self-doubt, my survival was never in question.

There were always people who could help me pick myself up when I fell and encourage me to try again. It can be easy to take this support for granted, until you realize there are people who do not have any.

Partnering with local charities

In the previous three years, PARA has partnered with two shelters for the PARAdime – Youth Empowerment and Support Services (www.yess.org) in Edmonton and the Calgary Drop-in and Rehabilitation Centre (www.thedi.ca).

We are excited that, this year, resident physicians in Red Deer are partnering with the Safe Harbour Society (www.safeharboursociety.org) and resident physicians in Grande Prairie are partnering with Rotary House (www.rotaryhouse.ca) to do more in our communities. We know that these donations are valued. Last year, Mark Powers, a staff member at the Drop-in Centre in Calgary told us that the PARAdime donation:

“… takes a huge pressure off. Saying no we don’t have this or that, takes a toll on the staff and clients. It is so hard to refuse something to someone in dire need. [PARA’s donation] changes this so we can say yes, here you go, be safe with your new backpack. Being able to say something positive, brings positive change.”

When our group of resident physicians dropped off the donations last year, it was clear that they enabled the shelter staff to do a lot and, for the individuals with little support who use these shelters, they make a big difference.

Recognizing this need, PARAdime collection sites have been set up in hospitals in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Red Deer. We invite all staff and students to help us give a hand to the most vulnerable in our communities. Please look in your closets and pantries and help make someone’s winter a little warmer.

Visit the PARA website for more information on the PARAdime and the location of the collection bins.