Our Livable Solutions selling sleeping cabin support shirts

Krissy Bedard was once living in the homeless encampment at Belle Park.

It was there that she met up with the people who would eventually bring sleeping cabins to Kingston, Ont.

Bedard drew the design, based on the totem pole at Belle Park, for T-shirts that were sold to raise the first $450 towards the cabins.

She said it was a rewarding experience helping her move to a better path.

“A lot of people look at people that are homeless and don’t have housing, the people feel like they don’t mean a lot to the community,” said Bedard.

Now, the people with Our Livable Solutions (OLS) are bringing the shirts back for sale once again to help support the cabins, but this time with a new, yet-to-be-revealed design.

“We’re giving the public a choice, or the purchasers a choice: Either to fund our general operations, which we need support with, or our dental fund, which we also need support with,” said OLS acting executive director Chrystal Wilson.

The shirts for sale are part of a growing theme at the sleeping cabins of encouraging residents to harness their skills, apply themselves and maybe even make a little spending money.

At OLS’ recent art show, cabin resident “Doc” sold two of his own paintings.

Wilson says that giving people the power and control over their own small business is healing their self-esteem.

This is all happening while the search for a permanent home continues.

Tired of moving from Portsmouth Olympic Harbour and Centre 70, the residents are hoping that a permanent home is in the cards soon.

“It seems like you just get unpacked, and get everything situated, then you’ve got to take it all down and do it all over again,” said cabin resident Marsha Wiggins, who has done the move twice herself.

Last year three locations were proposed as potential spots, but nothing has been decided yet.

This week, Wilson says they’re hoping to move things along.

“We will be launching an appeal this week to landowners and property owners. We’re hoping that a landowner might step up who sees our criteria for what would be appropriate,” said Wilson.

Until then, they’re eyeing a fall return to the harbour.

The new shirts can be purchased on the OLS website.