Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

— Chinese Proverb

Dino Geronimo had a job others envied. An IT professional working for a financial firm, his knowledge of high technology kept his company humming. Judging from all the overtime he was asked to work, Geronimo was a vital employee.

In order to stay awake and keep alert while he was putting in all those extra hours, Geronimo started using crystal methamphetamine, a drug that enhances energy.

He thought it helped him do his job better. His company didn’t.

When they found out he was using crystal meth they fired him.

He found himself out of work. And still addicted.

Eventually, after months of unsuccessful treatment, Geronimo began living on the Downtown Eastside streets. For three years he lived the life of a homeless addict.

Then, a year ago, things began to change.

Sense of purpose

He found a place to live, started treatment and, most importantly, got a job.

Geronimo is a street cleaner, working through the Coast Foundation’s Street Clean program.

Menial work for a former IT professional?

After what Geronimo has been through, the work he now does three days a week gives him purpose, satisfaction and a daily goal—things a homeless person often lacks.

“It gives me something I can focus on three days a week,” said Geronimo, 41. “I really enjoy it actually. I get outside and I feel better about myself.”

Street Clean is aimed at homeless individuals living on the Downtown Eastside as well as Burnaby. Jack Beatty, now with New Westminster Mental Health and Addictions (NWMHA), started the program several years ago, modeling it after similar programs in Long Beach, Calif. and New York.

Now the program is coming to New Westminster, also targeting those living on the streets or at risk of being homeless.

And it’s being adopted by the community.

The union representing city employees has given their approval. New Westminster Homelessness Coalition member groups, the New Westminster Police, the Fraser Health Authority and, most importantly, the Downtown BIA are also onboard.

Funding for the program, named I’s on the Street, will come from the BIA. Street cleaners will be paid $10 an hour and work three days a week, starting in January.

The Lookout Society is providing an outreach worker while an occupational therapist from NWMHA will also oversee the street cleaners.

A starting point

I’s on the Street is a starting point, said Beatty.

“It will give us a chance to develop relationships with people we don’t normally work with, find out what services they need.”

Those services could be things like housing, treatment or medication that will eventually help them off the streets.

The crucial component though, is the job.

For starters, workers are paid out in cash at the end of every shift. That feature is going to attract a lot of homeless individuals not normally engaged with the community, said Dave Brown, with the Lookout Society, which operates the Cliff Block housing.

While not a living wage, the extra income will help out those scraping by on disability and other benefits.

Street cleaners will also learn various transferable skills to make them employable. And the workers will present a face for the homeless and “break down the barriers” the community sometimes has about those living on the streets.

“You’re going to see people who normally lock the doors to their stores when they see someone homeless walk by, not do that anymore. They’re going to say, ‘Oh, that’s Jimmy. He’s a bit strange,’” said Brown.

Building community

The street cleaning service will improve the look of the neighbourhood, said Marise Kwasnicky with the Downtown BIA. And it will bring more eyes on the streets, to help prevent crime.

“Hopefully there will be a benefit to us,” she said.

“Another advantage is it’s going to put people to work, which is better for the economy.”

Not to be overlooked is the direction and purpose a job gives someone who’s homeless.

“They become part of the community again and they now start getting involved,” said Brown. “They’re going to take pride in the work they do.”

Dino Geronimo takes pride in the fact that he’s now cleaning up the streets he once lived on. He’s not only getting rid of the garbage but making things safer.

He guesses he finds 20 “rigs” (used needles) a day. As a former user, he knows where people get high so they’re easy to find.

Unfortunately Geronimo doesn’t get a wage bonus every time he finds a rig—just the satisfaction of knowing he’s making the neighbourhood safer.

With his confidence growing and life becoming more stable, Geronimo sees himself getting another job, maybe in a factory or a warehouse.

“I’m not sure what kind of a reference this will give me. But it’s solid and it’s a start.”