Dignity is one of the first things stripped from folks when they fall into difficult times. It鈥檚 the first thing that we at Union Gospel Mission (UGM) aim to restore. Dignity. It鈥檚 a simple word, yet it wields such immense influence in a person鈥檚 sense of self-worth. Based on comments from both The Chilliwack Progress and Mayor Popove, treating the most marginalized among us with dignity and respect is something we all agree on.

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That is why since 1940, UGM has been helping people restore their dignity. Our teams have the opportunity to witness first hand authentic stories of hope where people seek recovery, find housing and have the opportunity to safely move forward in their lives. At UGM, many life-changing transformations begin after a person develops a relationship with our Mobile Mission Fraser Valley outreach team. Eventually that trust transforms into a ride to a medical appointment, a night of shelter, or even a ride to a housing appointment.

The truth about the video of folks getting a ride in our Fraser Valley Mobile Mission can be found . The bottom line is: We do not drop people off in Chilliwack (or anywhere) without a plan in place. We wholeheartedly agree with Mayor (Ken) Popove that dropping off unsupported folks into any community without support and a plan 鈥渙nly exacerbates problem[s]鈥� for local service providers, and is not a solution. Mayor Popove, the Chilliwack Progress, and UGM all share in the belief that regardless of circumstances, marginalized individuals deserve to be treated with humanity and respect above all else.

However, the repeated misframing of this story causes harm to David* and others who are struggling with homelessness and eager to find somewhere to live. This is what we wish the conversations about this video, both publicly and behind closed doors, had focused on this week: walking alongside David and helping him continue his search for safe, reliable housing.

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And that鈥檚 what we will continue doing like we have for more than 80 years: support those who are experiencing homelessness, poverty and addiction in real and practical ways.

In the Fraser Valley our goal has been, and continues to be, to act as a supportive partner with the incredible service providers already in place.

We will keep journeying with David and others like him, through the ups and downs. Helping to restore dignity and speaking hope into the lives of many who can鈥檛 yet see it for themselves.

Dean Kurpjuweit, president, Union Gospel Mission

*David鈥檚 name has been changed to protect his privacy

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