All ears will be on 3030 Gordon as Simon Fraser University's CJSF 90.1 FM takes part in the 2016 National Homelessness Marathon, an all day broadcast coming live from the Tri-City shelter.
The national broadcast will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 23) and continue until 4 a.m., with CJSF hosting for an hour between 6 and 7 p.m. The event is open to the public and will include artist performances, free snacks and interviews with homeless individuals and their allies.
CJSF is partnering with RainCity Housing, which runs the shelter, and the New View Society as part of an effort to raise awareness about the homeless issue in the Tri-City area.
"Downtown Vancouver has a very visible homelessness population," CJSF said in a press release. "It’s widely known that many under-sheltered individuals in this community endure housing, addiction and mental health issues. But surrounding areas in Metro-Vancouver like Coquitlam also have a homeless population that experiences many significant housing related challenges."
This is the 14th year that the National Campus and Community Radio Association has held the Homelessness Marathon, which features 30 campus and community stations from across Canada. Participating stations will broadcast 14 consecutive hours of programming to bring attention to Canada’s homelessness problem.
According to the press release, this event will give the homeless and their allies the opportunity to come together and discuss housing issues, as well as possible solutions.
"It is our hope that by building a strong community consciousness, we will be able to bring change through the promotion of safe housing options," said CJSF.
Listeners are welcome to attend in person at 3030 Gordon. They can also tune into the marathon at CJSF 90.1 FM, or listen online at www.cjsf.ca.
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