No Fixed Address: Tales From The Street
By Susan Scott and Mike Sturk
100 pages / $9.95
Publication date: April 2000
It is available in the following locations
Have you ever asked why a seemingly healthy teenager needs to beg? Or, have you ever wondered what it's like to make your living picking bottles out of a dumpster, or what would happen to you if suddenly all your support systems were pulled out from under you?
A new book, No Fixed Address: Tales From The Street, profiles 19 people living on the streets of Calgary. It provides insight as to how they got into their diverse and difficult situations and allows the reader to stand in their shoes for a few minutes. The stories vary from Jamie, a young aboriginal man, who was abused physically and sexually by his foster parent, to Mercel, who fought in Vietnam and who once owned his own business in Calgary, to Darlene who went to some of Europe's best schools and now works the streets.
Published by the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre to raise awareness and funds for its new all purpose facility, the book was written by Calgary journalist Susan Scott and is poignantly illustrated with photographs by Herald photographer Mike Sturk. All the subjects volunteered their stories and saw their contributions as a way of returning something to the Drop-In and, in many cases, as a way of setting the record straight. They spoke frankly and freely about their lives and their aspirations. For reasons of safety, some names have changed to protect identities.
To order No Fixed Address: Tales From The Street
Please contact Louise G.
Email: louiseg@thedi.ca
Phone: (403) 699-8227
The Authors
As a child Susan Scott use to watch her grandmother knit socks for destitute men in London, England, and her first job was in a home for "girls in moral danger". View MoreJamie's Story
You can't condemn anybody. We want someone to smile to show they care, give a helping hand. We don't feel like anyone cares so we give up on life. Even a smile from someone who's dressed nice makes a street person's day. It hurts to be out there trying to straighten out. View MoreMercel's Story
Six months after his wife died, Mercel rose early one morning, went to the corner store, bought the paper, made breakfast for two, and was halfway up the stairs, tray in hand, before he realized Elizabeth Lynn wasn't waiting for him in bed. View MoreDarlene's Story
"Just believe in yourself. That's the hardest thing here for someone who's hurting." View More
Contact Us
Louise G.
Public Relations
423 - 4th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta T2G 0C8
Phone: (403) 699-8227
E-mail: louiseg@thedi.ca