"The best test of a civilised society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable and weakest members." Mahatma Gandhi
CHARITABLE EFFORT: DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE Donation offers blanket protection for the homeless At a community centre in the poverty-stricken Downtown Eastside yesterday, members of the Pivot Legal Society were handing out waterproof nylon blankets produced by Mountain Equipment Co-op as part of a unique charitable effort that has been in the works for more than a year. [Globe & Mail, December 19, 2007] Homeless get 'rights blankets' Vancouver's homeless will be warmer, drier and more informed thanks to yesterday's gift from the Pivot Legal Society. [The Province, December 19, 2007] Blankets offer shelter and a lesson in homeless rights The homeless couple have their share of sorrows, but on Tuesday, their spirits were high as they tested out the new lightweight shelter they'd just received as a Christmas present from Pivot Legal Society and Mountain Equipment Co-op. [Vancouver Sun, December 19, 2007]
Blankets given to Vancouver homeless offer legal advice "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," John Richardson, the executive director of Pivot Legal Society, said in a news release. [CBC, December 18, 2007]
Unique blanket protects Vancouver's homeless from rain and legal abuse Vancouver-based Pivot Legal Society specializes in protecting the rights of the poor and homeless, while sporting goods giant Mountain Equipment Co-op excels in protecting its members from the elements. [The Canadian Press, December 18, 2007]
Q&A: "Sex Work Is Work" Interview with Katrina Pacey, social justice attorney Katrina Pacey is a lawyer with the Pivot Legal Society in Vancouver. [IPSNews, December 18, 2007]
Gordon Campbell, meet theDowntown Eastside Whether you take your information from the United Nations, or the local Pivot Legal Society, which tells us that "an estimated 5,000 injection users live in the Downtown Eastside . . . where overdose and suicide are the leading causes of death . . . in Canada's poorest postal code," the truth is that the neighbourhood literally sheds blood and lives for want of a way out, for want of leadership. [Vancouver Sun, December 12, 2007] Inside Vancouver's pre-Olympic housing crisis David Eby is a lawyer with the Pivot Legal Society, and the author of a comprehensive report (Cracks in the Foundation) on the housing situation in Canada's poorest postal code, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. [rabble news, December 10, 2007]
City by-laws hurt the homeless Pivot Legal Society wants to see the rules changed. They are building a case against the City Land Regulation By-law and the Parks Control By-law. [The Thunderbird.ca, December 5, 2007]
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