Pivot and MEC to blanket homeless with legal rights

Vancouver – December 17, 2007

Tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, Pivot Legal Society will begin giving away the first run of its new Rights Blanket to homeless individuals living in the Downtown Eastside.

The high-tech Blanket, co-designed and produced by Mountain Equipment Coop, is designed for homeless people, made of waterproof dernier nylon and features a printed list of people’s rights in relation to housing, security guards, police and welfare. 

Rights Blankets will be distributed at the LifeSkills Centre on Cordova Street in the Downtown Eastside. A press conference presenting the Blankets will be held just before the LifeSkills Christmas party, where 200 of the Blankets will be given away:

What:        Release and Distribution of Pivot Rights Blankets
Where:      LifeSkills Community Centre, 412 Cordova Street
When:       1:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 18 (LifeSkills Christmas party)

“We wanted to create a product that would be not only useful on the practical level for someone living on the streets, but also effective as way of informing people about their rights under the law,” said John Richardson, executive director of Pivot Legal Society.

A joint project between Mountain Equipment Coop and Pivot, the Rights Blanket is light-weight, rugged, and easy to pack. Made of the same material as MEC’s high-end rainjackets, the Rights Blanket acts like a large, light-weight tarp with footpockets, drawstrings and a built-in stuffsack. It wraps around a sleeping person, their clothing and insulating blankets, protecting them from water and wind. Silk-screened onto the inside of the Blanket, in 26 point font, are various need-to-know rights for homeless people, including their rights in relation to panhandling, security guards, housing, policing, and welfare.

The first run of 500 Rights Blankets will soon be gone, but Pivot is already taking orders from the general public for the next batch.  Interested people can provide a Rights Blanket to a homeless person for $50.00. Donors have the option of picking up the Blanket themselves to give away to someone in need, or having a non-profit agency in the Downtown Eastside give it away on their behalf. People who wish to donate a Rights Blanket can place an order online or call Pivot at (604) 255-9700.

Read the information provided on the Rights Blanket