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I was helping Henry to watch his dog while he went to get some food. I was standing besides his sign and in about 5 minutes, I was approached by people who needed lighter and smoke. Apparently, some people assume I am homeless too. I could not imagine if I were on the street for a day or a week with the homeless sign, what kind of people or requests I would got exposed to. I could neither imagine the lives youth on the street live in day after day, month after month, year after year.

Street life is hard. Try 5 mins.

#prideweek2016 #streetsigns #hoemeless #helpthehomeless

Jay with the new sign

#prideweek #rainbow colors #streetsigns #streetart #helpthehomeless

I met Robin when I am on the way to distribute the pride signs. Robin was so happy to take my sign and she actually pulled her pride flag and the rainbow scarf which secretly hide in her bag before. She said she was a little unsure to wear them or not on the street before and now she’s all about the pride!

Let's go, pride babes!

#prideweek2016 #helpthehomeless #rainbow colors #happypride #streetsigns

I met Kevin around Dundas Square. He was dehydrating and I could totally see his thirst in his eyes. I bought him a large cup of coke and he said thank you to me a couple of times. Don't know why. That thank you makes me very sad.

#thank you #streetsigns #prideweek2016 #helpthehomeless #homeless

Sign 9: Pride month

#streetsigns #prideweek2016 #pridesigns #helpthehomeless

I was planning to give the sign to Marina but I had trouble to track her down for the past week. Today I was looking for her again and I met Nicole along the way. I chatted with Nicole and asked her if she knew Marina. I also showed her the sign that I’ve made. She seemed really liked it and I said you could have it if you want. She took the sign and I saw her tears started to run down on her face. She said she’s having a hard time on the street and she didn’t expect a gift like this all of a sudden. Her emotion touched me so much as I didn’t expect a sign could make a person cry.

Everyone would experience some hardship once in a life time. I personally don’t believe in the saying “everything will get better” UNLESS a person or someone helped the person to fight hard enough to change the situation.

Nicole, I hope this sign will get someone to hear your personal struggles, give you some emotional support and guide you into a path that will eventually let joy and sunshine surround you.

Life is short.

But Love lasts forever.

All the best, Nicole.

#streetart #streetsigns #homeless #thesandwichboardproject

Sign 8

#streetsigns #helpthehomeless #streetart #homeless signs #thesandwichboardproject

“Well, before I looked like a random guy on the street and now I look more like a sports fan just like everyone else.” - Dean

#blue jays #helpthehomeless #streetart

Sign 7: The Blue Jays

#street signs #homeless #street art

This afternoon I dropped off the new sign for Sue. We only chatted a bit because she’s in a rush to change her spot. She said a guy knocked down her cup and took all the coins in there. Then she showed me the fake coins that the guy put in. She said she’d love to catch up with me on another day and now she just wanted to go somewhere else safe for her.

Back of the sign for Sue

Sign 6: Sue

I planned to give the sign out to Bob yesterday but it got turned down. He looked at the sign and said I don’t know man, a smile wouldn’t get me through the day. And he put my sign away.

I felt a little embarrassed to be honest and I didn’t know how to react.

Today I went back to him and wanted to explain myself. Unluckily he’s not there. So I asked the owner of a nearby flower shop if she has seen him. She said he’s there earlier and wanted to buy some flowers for his wife in the hospital. She had liver-related disease.

In the hospital? I paused a second.

At that moment, I realized why he didn’t accept my sign.

The sign is large, but the words on it look so small in front of his hardship.

#homeless signs #torontohomeless #artproject #thesandwichboardproject

I caught up with Wesley today and asked him how the Friday sign worked for him. He said he got lots of smiles, giggles and some comments like "it’s cute" from passersby. Some of them gave him change. “The smiles are really precious to me.” He said “Connecting with people is better than any monetary rewards and it keeps me alive on the street.”

#homeless #torontohomeless #artproject #helpthehomeless

Wesley with the new sign (sign #4).

#torontohomeless #homeless #street signs #happyfriday #artproject

I caught up with Wesley yesterday morning and asked him how the new sign went. He said it was a smash. He went to Dundas square last Saturday with the sign and some artificial flowers from Dollarama. He put the cup away and went there just to promote the message. He said he had countless conversations with passersby. At the end, I asked him if there were more signs that I could help with. He said if I could help with one that would be great. And this is what I worked on last night.

#helpthehomeless #torontohomeless #artproject #homeless signs #street signs #streetart #happyfriday

Dear Wesley,

I would never forget the lesson that you taught me and thanks for sharing your stories with me.

Your mom should be proud of her son, a man with great integrity.

I wish your mom a happy smile in heaven on this mother’s day.

#mother's day #signs #homeless #torontohomeless #helpthehomeless #notes

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