SURREY — When Surrey teacher Natalie Walsh found out about the now-infamous "Only in Surrey" Facebook page, she was saddened to see people laughing at photos of the homeless.
"When I saw the page, I knew and I felt what they were doing wasn't right," said Walsh, adding the people being photographed would have no knowledge they were being laughed at on social media. But while she thought the webpage was wrong, it got her thinking about what would be the right thing to do.The idea launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com to raise $22,000 in the hopes Walsh can hand out gift certificates to the homeless and needy in Surrey's poorest neighbourhoods.
"Those people who are collecting bottles or prostituting are only doing it to pay the bills,to buy groceries. So I thought maybe give them a gift card so they can buy groceries."
Walsh moved to the Lower Mainland eight years ago so she says she didn't know Surrey had a reputation for being the butt of jokes.
"I didn't grow up hearing about 'Surrey girls' or Surrey this and that, and to me all the cities and suburbs are all the same. They're just places full of people. The people are all the same to me and there's homeless people in all the cities in the Lower Mainland. And there's drug use and prostitution, it's everywhere."
If she can reach her goal of $22,000 by March 16, Walsh will buy 880 gift certificates worth $25 each. Regardless of whether she reaches her goal, she intends on handing out as many certificates as the money will buy. Depending on the response, she plans to either hand them out personally or enlist the help of outreach agencies already working with the homeless.To date, Walsh has collected just over $2,100 from 50 funders online.Walsh says she thinks she can reach her goal since she noted the Only in Surrey Facebook page has more than 11,000 "likes."
"I can only imagine that if there are that many people who support something so insensitive and hurtful, there must be twice as many who will support something kind and giving."Included with the gift certificates will be a note asking recipients to use the gift if they have a use for it, or to pass it on to someone else more deserving, says Walsh.
To donate to the campaign, click here.