London City Hall’s open-air camp is expanding into the hunger strike The Forgotten 519.
With each passing day, London’s highest hope for change.
Dan Oudshoorn is an outreach employee who is on hunger strike in The Forgotten 519 coalition and told CTV News London on Thursday: “I feel physically tired but mentally strong.
Since Tuesday morning, Oudshoorn has started his hunger strike outside the camp in front of the town hall.
“I’m feeling hope for the first time in a long time and I’m getting very happy with other people who have passed in the last 24 hours,” he says.
The Forgotten 519 met with the City of London on Thursday in a bid to find new answers for the homeless.
The coalition is made up of doctors, frontline staff, extension staff and advocates searching for London’s homeless.
Dan Oudshoorn is an outreach employee who is on hunger strike in The Forgotten 519 coalition. (Jenn Basa/CTV News London) The organization claims that the city had a week to respond to a list of demands related to the homeless epidemic that is “dying of preventable deaths” on the streets of London, otherwise a member of the organization would start a public hunger strike.
“I’m lucky to have made it out alive, but everyone has the opportunity,” said Michelle Boissonneault, a supporter of the strikers.
On Thursday afternoon, The Forgotten 519, city officials and local agencies met practically to discuss concepts for immediate action on how to help the homeless. However, local media were not invited to register for Thursday’s meeting.
“I hope the result is that the 3 demands we have put in place are implemented,” Oudshoorn said.
The list of Forgotten 519 requests includes:
Several organisations have spoken out in favour of The Forgotten 519, adding Indwell, Anova, Ontario NDP and London InterCommunity Health Centre.
– With files via Ashley Hyshka of CTV News London