Sanctum Survivor challenge offers perspective on homelessness

Few things can provide a glimpse into homelessness better than personally living through some of the experiences.

Now, 10 leaders in Saskatoon are walking with a different perspective after taking part in the Sanctum Survivor challenge.

The challenge is a fundraiser for the Sanctum Care Group, a group that provides care for people living with HIV.

Over the course of 36 hours, participants are given a variety of challenges as they learn about different forms of resources and care homeless people seek out while also digesting a harsh dose of reality as they live on the streets.

Nutrien vice president Todd Denzin will never forget his adventure with Sanctum.

“It’s sort of like a fork in the road,” he said. “There was life before Sanctum, and now (life) after.”

It’s a glimpse into the challenges faced by people who experience poverty, homelessness and chronic illness — and that’s the intent behind the challenge, which wraps up with a gala on Saturday as participants share their experiences.

Stephanie Clovechok spends her days as the vice president of Tourism Saskatoon. On Friday, she was overlooked and cast aside as she was challenged with asking people for money to buy a meal.

“There were people who we even knew that walked right by us and didn’t even look at us,” she said. “What stopped me in my track is the feeling of invisibility, and it was horrifying.”

That sense of vulnerability and danger was heightened on Friday as police labelled the death of a homeless man earlier in the week as a murder.

“It’s a scary place,” Clovechok said. “Being on the street for 36 hours pales in comparison to anything anyone experiences — their lives are in danger at all times.”

Dr. Sibasis Daspal was paired with Denzin for the 36 hours. At one point on Friday, a person passed by in a Cadillac Escalade, rolled down the window and began berating him for whining and complaining.

“The vulnerability goes both ways. When we face a bunch of homeless people around our house, we think: ‘We don’t want to be with them,'” he said. “They’re all so vulnerable amongst us; I never thought that could happen to a homeless person.”

All participants learned plenty of new things that can often become an afterthought, like the resiliency of caregivers.

“They were talking about empathy fatigue. Literally, they hear and see so many tragic events every day that they get numb to it and they have to go away, recharge and come back,” Denzin said. “Who’s helping the helpers?”

Clovechok said that no matter where she goes, she will take the experiences of Sanctum Survivor with her.

“I’m going to appreciate a shower every morning, I’m going to appreciate seeing my children every day. So many people I’ve heard from this week have had no choice to parent their children,” she said. “I’m never going to turn a blind eye to anybody on the street ever again.”