HELP OR HINDRANCE?
Clothing line aims to assist the homeless, but advocates question its motives,
A new Toronto clothing brand is under fire, accused of making light of homelessness, but its owner says his products are actually meant to raise awareness of those suffering from poverty.
The brand, Homeless Toronto, was launched a few weeks ago by Trevor Nicholls.
His products, sold online, include T-shirts, hoodies and sweatpants, some with the wording “homeless” and “change please” written across them. The items range in price from $20 to $135.
He also sells tin mugs for $20 each with the “change please” tag line.
The company has been accused on social media, including many posts on its Facebook page, of exploiting homelessness in order to make a profit.
“We kind of knew right off the bat that there would be a bit of controversy, just given the subject and the stigma around homelessness,” Nicholls said. “We do want to change people’s attitudes a little bit and change the overall feeling towards (the) homeless.”
Nicholls said he plans to distribute some of the clothing he makes to people living on the street and also donate 40 per cent of proceeds from all sales to organizations that support Toronto’s homeless population.
One of the organizations he has in mind is Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth, which he said he’s already contacted.
But Alanna Scott, development and campaign director for Eva’s Initiatives, said the organization wasn’t aware of this until Wednesday morning and hadn’t had any prior contact with Homeless Toronto’s owners.
“They’ve said in a number of different ways on their website what they’re planning to donate, but we don’t have any arrangements made,” Scott said. “We don’t have a business arrangement to have them promote Eva’s or donate a portion of proceeds.”
She said any partnership with a business that wants to donate a portion of its proceeds to Eva’s would require the company’s products and messaging to be consistent with Eva’s goals “which are to support the dignity and bright futures of youth who are experiencing homelessness.”
“I would say that the messaging on the products and the social media of the Toronto Homeless company is not respectful of people experiencing homelessness, nor is it reflective of the seriousness of the situation of youth experiencing homelessness,” Scott said.
“I can understand that controversy is an effective tool for raising awareness and making a point, however their point here is not really clear. In fact, I would also say that sensationalizing homelessness detracts and distracts society from exploitation and marginalization that people experiencing homelessness often have to face.”
Nicholls said many items, such as those that read “change please,” carry double meanings. Not only are some homeless people forced to panhandle on the street for change, but many also look for change in their lives and a change in how they are looked upon, he said. “Maybe when someone sees someone with a shirt that says ‘change please,’ it will make them think twice about extending a helping hand,” Nicholls said.
The company is still in its formation stage, having made just one sale to date, according to Nicholls. He said the idea behind the business is personal.
“A couple years ago, I lost a lot of money,” he said. “I didn’t have any- where to go. I spent my fair share of sleeping in my car at Wal-Mart parking lots, crashing at various locations here and there. I still, to be completely honest, don’t have a permanent place of residence.”
Nicholls said he disagrees with those who feel the company’s products exploit homelessness.
“I don’t know if it comes from a misunderstanding of what our intent was. Our whole idea was to give back to help people,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be slightly controversial, but we weren’t expecting this.”