Nova Scotia entrepreneur launches clothes line to assist talk about homelessness

It began with a single gray T-shirt and a brokenhearted massive sister.

“This isn’t one thing that’s chosen. That is one thing that may occur to anyone and I watched that,” mentioned Miriah Kearney, who lives in Truro, N.S.

Three years in the past, Kearney, a Nova Scotia entrepreneur, misplaced her brother Lucas when he was solely 29 years previous

“He was on the Dean’s checklist at [Dalhousie Architechture],” she mentioned. “He was an incredible athlete and extremely clever and in eight months, he misplaced every little thing.”

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Though Lucas by no means lived on the streets, Kearney says he did undergo from drug addictions and psychological sickness.

She says its a situation shared by far too many homeless Canadians.

“I feel the homeless are so usually forgotten or misunderstood and I additionally assume it’s a fixable downside,” Kearney mentioned.

That’s why she’s launched a clothes line referred to as “My Dwelling Attire” in honour of her brother. 5 per cent of income generated by the clothes line, which characteristic maps of every of Canada’s provinces and territories, are donated to the Canadian Alliance to Finish Homelessness and numerous native shelters throughout the nation.

“I don’t assume any Canadians must be sleeping outdoors at evening and I feel we will make this higher,” Kearney mentioned.

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Shoeboxes filled with gifts and hope for homeless women across the Maritimes

Sue MacDonnell, who works in neighborhood outreach at a homeless shelter in Moncton, N.S., welcomes the marketing campaign.

“We establish as a neighborhood by our provinces, however then by extension, there’s a neighborhood that must be supported as they wrestle,” MacDonnell mentioned.

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And whereas Kearney nonetheless struggles with the lack of her child brother, opening up a dialog about homelessness is bringing her a way of objective and peace.

“Each day is a battle to get via the grief, however I feel he could be very proud that I modified the dialog to one thing optimistic and to assist people who need assistance.”