At the 24 Hours of Homelessness event last week, I was thrilled that our fundraising component – the 12 hours of music at the Royal Oak next door – was kicked off by Project Mantra, a folk-punk group out of Brockville. They are led by Leigh Bursey, who happens to be the youngest city councilor in Brockville history and a passionate anti-poverty activist. Those are just two of his many accomplishments, and I had a chance to sit down (well, stand outside in the cold) with him to discuss the current Canadian homelessness situation – and much more.

Thanks Leigh, and Project Mantra, and everyone else who came out to support Operation Come Home this past weekend. Up now is the $24 challenge – after all the expenses associated with living on the street, the average homeless youth has only $24 a week to spend on food and other essentials. A number of us have volunteered to live for a week on $24 to see how difficult it would be for people with homes and stoves! And Leigh has volunteered to be a part of this campaign as well!